A man writes down his information before entering a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 28, 2020. Malaysia will continue imposing the recovery phase of "Movement Control Order" measures to contain the COVID-19 till Dec. 31, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Friday, citing risks posed by the continued spread of the pandemic worldwide. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will continue imposing the recovery phase of "Movement Control Order" measures to contain the COVID-19 till Dec. 31, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Friday, citing risks posed by the continued spread of the pandemic worldwide.
In a televised speech, Muhyiddin said the situation within Malaysia is under control, with a low number of local transmissions as well as some positive economic recovery.
However he said the COVID-19 situation globally still did not show signs of ending in the foreseeable future and that the country itself is still faced with a transmission risk such as several case clusters reported recently.
"This risk must be handled immediately and controlled through strict measures before it spreads widely," he said.
"This means the government still needs the legal mechanisms to continue to control the COVID-19 outbreak. So in your interests, the government has decided to extend the recovery Movement Control Order until Dec. 31," he said.
Muhyiddin said he is confident that the daily activities of Malaysians would not be disrupted as these would proceed with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in line with the new normal.
"What is important is that we must get used to wearing face masks, washing hands, ensuring personal cleanliness and avoiding crowded places. I believe all this has already been practiced by you all this while, allowing us to control the spread of COVID-19 in the community," he said.
Muhyiddin added that the measures will include extending the ban on foreign tourists to prevent a rise in imported cases.
Malaysia first implemented the restrictions on March 18 before relaxing them since May. Most economic and social activities have been allowed to resume since the recovery Movement Control Order started in June.
Malaysia reported 10 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the national total to 9,306, the Health Ministry said on Friday. A total of 9,030 people have been cured and discharged while total deaths stand at 125. Enditem
