KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (NNN-BERNAMA) – A total lockdown can bring disastrous effects to the Malaysian economy, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who called on Malaysians to strictly observe the new normal and all SOPs in place in view of the significant hike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
In a special address carried live by RTM, the prime minister said that while the country was now better prepared than before in terms of experience and manpower and had enough facilities, he also underlined the need to break the transmission of the virus.
He urged everyone to follow all regulations put in place to keep the pandemic under control.
For those in areas where Targeted Control Movement Order has been enforced, he said the best way to flatten the curve would be to stay at home.
“We did it before and I firmly believe we can do it again.”
Earlier Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced that Malaysia had recorded its highest-ever daily figure of new COVID-19 cases today, with 691 cases reported over the past 24 hours.
He said that in line with the sudden spike, the total number of active cases also increased to 2,936.
The latest development also sees the cumulative total number of cases rising to 13,504 over the last three days, after the figure exceeded the 12,000-mark when 12,088 cases were recorded on Oct 3.
A total of 394 cases, which is more than half of today’s figure, involved the Tembok Cluster in Kedah, he told a press conference via the Ministry of Health (MOH) Facebook.