Coronavirus: In Malaysia, calls for a lockdown grow as confirmed cases climb to 553
- The country reported 125 new cases on Monday, 95 of which are linked to a mass Islamic religious meeting held last month
- The announcement follows a 190-case jump over the weekend, making Malaysia the worst-hit country in Southeast Asia
Although the country had managed to keep its outbreak in what it dubbed the “early containment” stage, it reported 125 new cases on Monday – 95 of which are linked to a mass Islamic religious meeting held last month, according to the health ministry – following a 190-case jump over the weekend.
The new figures mark a huge spike in Malaysia, which just a week ago had only 117 cases. As a result, the country has entered the “late containment” stage, entailing what new health minister Adham Baba described as “drastic action”.
The religious meeting, or “tabligh”, saw some 16,000 people gather to pray from February 27 to March 1. Of the 14,500 Malaysians who attended, only 7,000 have come forward for testing despite repeated pleas from government and religious officials, the health minister said.
Participants infected at the event have spread new cases to Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia, while Thailand has been struggling to track down its 132 citizens who attended. Singapore closed all mosques on Friday after five people who had attended the Malaysia event tested positive for the virus.
