It’s an impossible situation for which there is no easy or painless solution.
#MALAYSIA TOTAL LOCKDOWN FULL#
The SME Association of Malaysia, meanwhile, has urged the government not to impose a full lockdown, warning that based on their surveys, nearly 40% of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) will close down their business operations for good if that happens. The government clearly has very little appetite for imposing a full-scale lockdown on the country, and they’re not alone: Multiple business groups and even some lawmakers have urged a different approach, saying another lockdown would crush the Malaysian economy, cause another large number of businesses to close down, and put untold thousands of jobs at serious risk. It it precisely this scenario that has basically forced the government’s hand, requiring them to consider any and all options to prevent the pandemic from completely spinning out of control. Over half of the nearly 600 patients currently in ICU are on a ventilator. Now, it’s 40 to 50 on a near-daily basis, and the ICU cases are threatening to overwhelm a healthcare system stretched to extremes. The number of deaths and critical care cases is particularly alarming, because even in February, when both new and active cases surged, daily deaths were usually in the low double digits, only rarely exceeding 20. On May 20, 2021, some 16 months after the first Covid-19 was detected in Malaysia, a dispiriting new record high was set for new daily cases (6,806), new daily deaths (59), and single-day number of patients in ICU (587), along with the total number of active cases (50,171) approaching the previous worst surge, which happened in February of this year. The problem is, the Covid crisis in Malaysia is not improving.
Though a number of restrictions are in place, most businesses are still allowed to operate, and a greater emphasis has been put on encouraging people to voluntarily stay at home. The announcement concerning these measures will be made on Saturday, May 22.įourteen months after introducing the new term ‘Movement Control Order’ (or Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan) into the Malaysian lexicon and plunging the entire country into a wide-ranging, full-scale lockdown, the government finds itself faced with the same unenviable decision again, despite having given multiple assurances that there would be no more nationwide MCO directives.Ĭurrently, Malaysia is technically under just such an order, but realistically, compared to the first MCO, this one is a softer, easier version. However, some restrictions of the current MCO 3.0 will be tightened, and additional SOPs imposed. UPDATED (9.30pm May 21): According to preliminary reports, there will not be a full-scale total lockdown. A day after Malaysia recorded its highest number of new Covid-19 cases and highest number of deaths, the government is meeting to discuss options.
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