by AZREEN HANI

A total lockdown will be implemented nationwide where no social and economic sectors, except essential services are allowed to operate from June 1 until June 14.

The decision was made in the special National Security Council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin this evening.

The essential economic and service sector will be announced in a list by the MKN later, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

This decision was made after taking into account the current situation of Covid-19 transmission in Malaysia with the number of daily cases having exceeded 8,000 cases and active cases exceeding 70,000 cases.

To date, a total of 2,552 people have died as a result of the outbreak and the death toll is rising.

“With the increase in daily cases showing a more dramatic upward trend since recently, the capacity of hospitals nationwide to treat Covid-19 patients is also increasingly limited,” the statement added.

PMO said this Phase One lockdown succeeds in reducing the daily Covid-19 cases, the government will implement the Phase Two lockdown, which is by allowing the reopening of some economic sectors that do not involve large gatherings, subject to social distancing.

This Second Phase Lockdown will be implemented for a period of four weeks after the First Phase ended.

“After the end of the Second Phase lockdown, the next step is to enter the Third Phase, which is to implement the Movement Control Order as currently in force where social activities are not allowed and almost all economic sectors are allowed to operate subject to strict SOPs and physical presence in the workplace,” PMO added.

Following the government’s decision to implement a full closure of the economic and social sectors, the Ministry of Finance will detail the assistance package to the people and the affected economic sectors.

An announcement on this assistance package will be made in the near future.