Malaysia Extends COVID-19 Control Measures By 2 Weeks

Malaysia on Wednesday announced the extension of restrictions to stem the coronavirus pandemic by two more weeks.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the Movement Control Order (MCO) period will be extended from March 31 to April 14 as the local death toll from the virus rises, Bernama news reported.

"Those who are currently in their hometowns need not rush back to [the capital] Kuala Lumpur this weekend. Stay in your hometowns and don't go anywhere," he said in a televised address to the nation.

Malaysia has 1,624 confirmed cases of the virus, including 183 who recovered from the disease.

Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malaysia's health director, said that a 66-year-old with a chronic illness had died from the virus, bring the country's death toll to 17.

"The patient tested positive for COVID-19 on March 21 and was pronounced dead at 4: 10 am today [2010GMT Tuesday]," Abdullah said on Facebook.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 170 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. The number of confirmed cases worldwide has now surpassed 423,000 while the death toll is nearly 19,000 and nearly 109,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms before making a recovery. -