Starting Tomorrow, Malaysia Tightens Lockdown, Implements Curfew

Malaysian illustration. (Wikimedia Commons CEphoto/Uwe Aranas)

JAKARTA - Malaysia on Thursday announced tougher restrictions on movement and business in the capital Kuala Lumpur and the neighboring state of Selangor, as cases of the new coronavirus show no sign of abating.

Security Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Kuala Lumpur and several districts in Selangor would impose stricter measures from Saturday for a period of two weeks.

"Only essential businesses, including factories that produce food and daily necessities, are allowed to operate, it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, as quoted by the Straits Times, restrictions or enhanced movement control orders (EMCO), will later include the implementation of a curfew starting at 8 p.m., valid until 16 July.

Ismail Sabri Yaakob said such a step was necessary, given the rise in COVID-19 cases, especially in the Klang Valley.

"Selangor records an average of 1,800 to 1,900 cases every day, while Kuala Lumpur has between 600 and 1,000 cases every day," he said.

"All districts in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur recorded an incidence of COVID-19 cases of more than 12.1 per 100,000 population," continued Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Roads in EMCO-affected areas will be closed, with all entry and exit points guarded by police.

Only one person from each household is allowed to leave the house to buy necessities, and travel is limited to a radius of 10 km from the house.

Affected areas include the densely populated suburbs of Petaling, Damansara and Ampang in Selangor, as well as Wangsa Maju and Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur.

Yesterday, Malaysia reported 6,988 new daily cases and another 84 deaths on Thursday. In total, Malaysia has now recorded 758,967 cases of infection with 5,254 deaths due to COVID-19.

"This is an alarming situation if we take into account the population density and the spread of the three new variants of COVID-19 which are much more dangerous," he said.

To note, Malaysia last week extended a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said restrictions would not be relaxed until daily cases fell below 4,000.

Separately, Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also announced that the country would shorten the dosing interval for the AstraZeneca vaccine to nine weeks from the previous 12-week gap.