The announcement came after authorities declared a series of measures to limit movement and social events in many places across the Southeast Asian nation recently, including a partial lock-down in Kuala Lumpur.

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Cambodian people wearing face-mask to prevent COVID-19

Malaysia has been battling the strongest COVID-19 outbreak since early this year, recording thousands of new infections each day, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Previously, control measures were slowly eased as infection rates fell, but the number of new cases regularly spiked past 4,000 a day as schools and special markets during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan were allowed to open.

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said new restriction measures will kick off from May 12, a day before the country celebrates Eid al-Fitr, and remain until June 7.

Malaysia on May 9 recorded its highest single-day death toll from COVID-19 after the coronavirus claimed 26 more lives. Another 3,733 new COVID-19 infections were reported on the day, of which 3,727 are local transmissions, bringing the national total to 440,677.

Source: VNA