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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will no longer impose widespread novel coronavirus restrictions on travel despite a recent spike in infections, which a government minister said was caused in part by migrants from neighboring countries.
Malaysia imposed a nationwide lockdown in March, but has been gradually lifting the restrictions, although authorities warned that they could be restored if the daily increase in infections reaches triple digits.
The Southeast Asian country has seen a steady increase in cases in the past week and reported 287 new infections on Friday, the highest daily increase since it began tracking the pandemic.
READ: Malaysia records highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases as more infections trace back to Sabah
But Security Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government sees no need to reimpose the closure, as most cases are reported in isolated detention centers and districts.
“There are only one or two cases in each state, so it is not a cause for concern at the moment,” Ismail told reporters.
The government has come under fire for the surge in cases, many of which have been linked to Sabah’s second-largest state, on the island of Borneo, which held elections last week.
Several politicians have been accused of violating social distancing protocols in the election campaign, while the authorities were criticized for failing to impose control measures such as a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers from Sabah.
Ismail said the Sabah outbreak was due to the illegal entry of migrants. The government would increase resources and personnel to protect the state’s borders, he said.
“Cases in neighboring countries have increased and the entry of illegal immigrants from there has impacted our efforts to control the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
READ: The Malaysian Ministry of Health studies the total reopening of the border with Singapore
READ: Malaysia is in no rush to open its borders, says Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Malaysia has avoided the level of outbreaks seen in neighboring Philippines and Indonesia, which have 319,330 and 299,506 cases respectively.
Malaysia has reported a total of 11,771 infections, with 136 deaths.
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