Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has extended the second lockdown for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor state, and Putrajaya city for another two weeks till Nov. 9, as rising number of COVID-19 infections shows no sign of reducing.
Same restrictions, which include no contact sports and no inter-district travel, will continue to take place, Ismail said during his daily COVID-19 address to the nation. The three affected areas were ordered a second lockdown on Oct. 13 that was supposed to end tomorrow. They reported 194 out of the 1,240 new COVID-19 cases today.
“Previously, the government has imposed a lockdown until Oct. 27, and we have decided to extend it for two more weeks, until Nov. 9,” the minister said this afternoon, later adding: “The rate of the virus spreading is still high.”
KL, Selangor, and Putrajaya reentered lockdown around four months after a nationwide lockdown ended in June.
The latest wave of infections occurred after the country concluded its state elections in Sabah, where several parts reentered lockdown starting Oct. 7 that will last until Nov. 8. A total of 927 new COVID-19 infections were recorded in Sabah today, with seven new deaths.
Malaysia has so far recorded 27,805 since the outbreak began earlier this year. The death toll stands at 236.
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