Malaysia extended movement restrictions until April 28, PM announces

Muhyiddin said that schools would remain closed with home-based and online learning in place until the situation was considered safe for children to return to schools.

He added that several economic sectors would be opened in stages and the government would make an announcement in the near future.

Muhyiddin noted that the extension of MCO would run into the month of Ramadan, and said there would be neither Ramadan bazaars nor terawih prayers in mosques.

The sighting of the moon to decide when Ramadan begins will be on April 23.

"Based on the advice of the Health Ministry and medical experts, the government decided to extend the MCO for another two weeks from April 15 to April 28.

"This extension is to give room for healthcare workers to combat Covid-19 and prevent a re-emergence.

"The move is in line with the view of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which suggested that countries do not end the MCO too early.

"In some countries, the spread of Covid-19 increased again when the MCO was lifted," said Muhyiddin in a televised address on Friday (April 10).

He said that the MCO so far had kept the pandemic in check, with the country registering positive Covid-19 cases at 7%, less than the world benchmark of 10% by WHO.

Malaysia's death rate from Covid-19 is also at 1.6%, way below the world's death rate of 5.8%, said the Prime Minister.

As of Thursday (April 9), 67 deaths were reported.

The first phase of the MCO, which was introduced to break the chain of Covid-19 infection, was from March 18 to 31, followed by the second phase from April 1 to 14.