The COVID-19 pandemic should have been over by now.
Everyone’s aware of the need to practise social distancing, several COVID-19 vaccines are in use, and mask-wearing has been made mandatory in many countries.
But the coronavirus is a persistent beast; even after beating back the virus through strict lockdowns and other safety measures, the virus almost always seems to come back with a vengeance the minute these restrictions are lifted.
Of course, this means that the country has to re-impose its lockdown, and that appears to have happened once again to our friends across the border.
Nationwide Lockdown Imposed in M’sia; Will Last Until 7 June
Just days after imposing a Movement Control Order (MCO) on several districts in Malaysia, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday (10 May) declared a nationwide lockdown until 7 June.
This lockdown, which will begin tomorrow (12 May), will be Malaysia’s third widespread MCO since the coronavirus landed on its shores.
The lockdown was imposed to combat the alarming rise in COVID-19 infections recently.
So, what will MCO 3.0 entail?
Economic Activities to Continue, Social Activities Banned
Economic activities will continue, but all social activities, events, dining-in at restaurants, as well as inter-district and inter-state travel are banned.
Inter-district and inter-state travel will only be permitted for emergencies, work, medical appointments, visiting of spouses, and for vaccination appointments.
Only select outdoor exercises are allowed under the MCO, such as sports and recreation in open spaces that do not involve close physical interactions. They can only be carried out for exercise and health, and not for entertainment purposes.
Under the MCO which was announced a few days ago for districts like Johor, the authorities said visiting during Hari Raya Aidilfitri would only be allowed on the first day (13 May) with a cap of 15 people at any one time, depending on the size of the house.
However, it’s unknown if the same rules will apply to the entire country now that it’s under a nationwide lockdown.
Recorded Highest Death Toll on 9 May
On Sunday (9 May), Malaysia recorded its highest death toll since the pandemic started, with 26 deaths.
3,807 new infections were reported yesterday, bringing the country’s total tally to 444,484 cases. 1,700 people have died from the disease so far.
Some have attributed the spike in cases to the reopening of Ramadan food bazaars after it was banned last year.
The government also allowed nightly Ramadan prayer service and for restaurants—which usually shut at midnight—to remain open until 6:00am, according to The Straits Times.
In April alone, active cases have more than doubled. Variants of COVID-19 have also been detected in the country.
And with the delayed arrival of vaccines, the authorities had no choice but to lock down the entire country.
Feature Image: Patrick Foto / Shutterstock.com
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