dpa
Bangkok
Malaysia’s Health Ministry on Wednesday reported a record one-day coronavirus-related death toll of 39, just hours after the start of a third coronavirus lockdown.
The ministry said that more than 4,700 new cases of the virus had been recorded in the past 24 hours, almost double Tuesday’s caseload and taking the cumulative total to over 450,000.
The lockdown, which was announced on Monday and imposed from Wednesday, is set to run for one month in an attempt to rein in South-East Asia’s highest daily case numbers per capita.
The restrictions, known officially as a movement control order, also mean the annual holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will be low-key for the second year in a row.
Known as Eid-al-Fitr in Arabic-speaking countries, Malaysians refer to the days-long celebration, which kicks off on Thursday, as Idul Fitri or Hari Raya.
However, police roadblocks have been set up since the the weekend to stop people from making the usual holiday cross-country trips to see family and friends.
As late as Saturday, the government was insisting it would not impose another nationwide lockdown, citing fears about the economy and pointing to local curbs in cities such as Kuala Lumpur.
According to official estimates announced on Tuesday, Malaysia’s gross domestic product shrank by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, after a second lockdown spanning January and February.
Earlier on Wednesday former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad marked the start of the lockdown with an apology for not having his temperature taken at a weekend charity event.
Checks at entrances to malls, restaurants and event venues have been mandatory since last year.
"I apologize for not abiding by the SOPs [standard operating procedures],” said the 95-year-old Mahathir, who led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and again from mid-2018 until his surprise resignation in last February, less than a month before Malaysia’s first lockdown.
"I will face the music according to the relevant law,” said Mahathir, whose mea culpa came hours less than a week after another former prime minister, corruption convict Najib Razak, was fined the equivalent of around 700 dollars for a similar breach when entering a Kuala Lumpur restaurant.
The lockdown means restaurants are closed to dine-in customers and events such as Mahathir’s weekend function are off-limits.
Bangkok
Malaysia’s Health Ministry on Wednesday reported a record one-day coronavirus-related death toll of 39, just hours after the start of a third coronavirus lockdown.
The ministry said that more than 4,700 new cases of the virus had been recorded in the past 24 hours, almost double Tuesday’s caseload and taking the cumulative total to over 450,000.
The lockdown, which was announced on Monday and imposed from Wednesday, is set to run for one month in an attempt to rein in South-East Asia’s highest daily case numbers per capita.
The restrictions, known officially as a movement control order, also mean the annual holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan will be low-key for the second year in a row.
Known as Eid-al-Fitr in Arabic-speaking countries, Malaysians refer to the days-long celebration, which kicks off on Thursday, as Idul Fitri or Hari Raya.
However, police roadblocks have been set up since the the weekend to stop people from making the usual holiday cross-country trips to see family and friends.
As late as Saturday, the government was insisting it would not impose another nationwide lockdown, citing fears about the economy and pointing to local curbs in cities such as Kuala Lumpur.
According to official estimates announced on Tuesday, Malaysia’s gross domestic product shrank by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, after a second lockdown spanning January and February.
Earlier on Wednesday former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad marked the start of the lockdown with an apology for not having his temperature taken at a weekend charity event.
Checks at entrances to malls, restaurants and event venues have been mandatory since last year.
"I apologize for not abiding by the SOPs [standard operating procedures],” said the 95-year-old Mahathir, who led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and again from mid-2018 until his surprise resignation in last February, less than a month before Malaysia’s first lockdown.
"I will face the music according to the relevant law,” said Mahathir, whose mea culpa came hours less than a week after another former prime minister, corruption convict Najib Razak, was fined the equivalent of around 700 dollars for a similar breach when entering a Kuala Lumpur restaurant.
The lockdown means restaurants are closed to dine-in customers and events such as Mahathir’s weekend function are off-limits.