Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysiahas announced that the entire country, with the exception of Sarawak, will comeunder the Movement Control Order (MCO) in a bid to contain the spread ofCOVID-19.
Some localities in Sarawak, including Sibu,Selangau and Kanowit, have also applied the MCO.
Minister of Defence of Malaysia IsmailSabri Yaakob said that six states – Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah,Terengganu and Perlis - will be under the restriction from January 22, followinga spike in COVID-19 cases.
The MCO will be in place for two weeks andmay be extended.
Earlier, five states of Penang, Selangor,Malacca, Johor and Sabah, and three territories –Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya andLabuan – imposed the MCO on January 13, and Kalantan on January 16.
Malaysia reported 3,631 new infections onJanuary 19, the second highest daily number since the pandemic broke out in theSoutheast Asian country. Selangor continues to log the most of the new caseswith 1,199, followed by Sabah (526) and Kuala Lumpur (521)./.