Malaysia National Lockdown Ahead of Eid Al-Fitr

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday announced a nationwide lockdown until June 7 to curb the third wave of Covid-19.

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the lockdown, known as the Movement Control Order or MCO, starting Wednesday. "Malaysia is facing a third wave of pandemics that could trigger a national crisis," said Muhyiddin Yassin, quoted from CNN, May 11, 2021.

The prime minister said Malaysia's daily Covid-19 cases had exceeded 4,000 as of Monday. There were 37,390 cases of active coronavirus and the death toll hit 1,700 on May 10, he said.

Muhyiddin Yassin also warned of the emergence of a new variant of Covid-19 with a higher infection rate, which could put pressure on Malaysia's healthcare infrastructure.
Under the national lockdown, all social gatherings will be banned along with interstate and inter-district travel.

Eid al-Fitr prayers will also be limited to 50 people for mosques that can accommodate 1,000 people, and 20 for mosques that accommodate less than 1,000 people.

The restriction also applies to Friday prayers.

The restaurant will not allow customers to eat inside, only food that can be taken home. No weddings or social events are permitted during the lockdown.

Educational institutions will also remain closed.

The lockdown was carried out while Malaysia was still in a state of emergency, which was declared by the prime minister in January to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaysia is one of the earliest countries in the region to enforce a strict lockdown last year to keep the epidemic under control.

Malaysia experienced its worst economic downturn in 2020 since the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s, Reuters reported.

Malaysia's first national lockdown will take effect from 18 March to 3 May 2020.

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# Malaysians are prohibited from going home to Lebaran due to the National Lockdown
Malaysians cannot go home for Eid this year after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he would impose a national lockdown.

On Monday Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a lockdown, known as the Movement Control Order or MCO, as Malaysia is facing a third wave of Covid-19 that could trigger a national crisis.

Mohd Rezuan Othman usually travels back and forth from Kuala Lumpur to his hometown in southern Malaysia to spend Eid with his family, but the latest national Covid-19 lockdown has canceled his plans for the second year in a row.

Othman and millions of other Malaysians are prohibited from gathering with loved ones during Eid celebrations due to strict travel restrictions.
"I haven't gone home to Hari Raya for almost two years now and I never saw my parents during that time," Mohd Rezuan, a 40-year-old cook, told Reuters.

Some Malaysians, like Rusyan Sopian, think travel restrictions make sense given health authorities say the spike may be linked to the spread of a more contagious variant of Covid-19.

"If it helps prevent the virus, that's okay with me," said the 38-year-old author.

But despite social restrictions, repeated lockdowns have threatened the livelihoods of Mohd Rezuan and many in Malaysia.

Before the pandemic, the fasting month of Ramadan was usually a busy month for restaurant businesses and food bazaars, which prepare iftar meals for millions of Malaysian Muslims. About 60% of Malaysia's 32 million population are Muslim.

"I work in the food industry. One time it opens, one time it closes, said Mohd Rezuan, speaking during a break from his job at a restaurant on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur that is now deserted by the pandemic.
"One time my salary was good, and then not. How am I going to survive?" said Mohd Rezuan.

Malaysia is one of the earliest countries in Southeast Asia that imposed a strict lockdown last year to keep the epidemic under control.

The first national lovkdown in Malaysia will take effect from 18 March to 3 May 2020.

Malaysia experienced its worst economic downturn in 2020 since the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s.

The spike in cases that started at the end of last year prompted the government to declare a state of emergency in January.

Malaysia's Covid-19 caseload surpassed 444,000 with 1,700 deaths as of Monday, Southeast Asia's third-highest infection rate after Indonesia and the Philippines.

# Anthony Fauci Suggests India to Immediately Lockdown COVID-19
The American Government's Chief Medical Advisor, Anthony Fauci, believes India must immediately lock down COVID-19. This is considering the high growth of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in India.
Referring to the CNN report, India recorded 366 thousand cases and 3,754 deaths 

The last 24 hours. This makes India, nationally, have 22.6 million cases, 246 thousand deaths, and 18 million patients recovered due to COVID-19.
"India must go into lockdown. As far as I know, several Indian states have done it, but the Indian government must immediately break the chain of spreading the virus. One way to do this is a national lockdown," said Anthony Fauci, quoted by CNN, Monday, May 10. 2021.

Fauci explained that the national lockdown he meant was not a long-term lockdown. Because, he said, what India needed was only to break the chain of spreading the virus. For this, Fauci stated that it was enough for India to lock down for a minimum of two weeks or a month at the longest.