KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said it would restrict travel, ban public gatherings and order schools, universities and most shops to shut from Wednesday in a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said there would be a ban on Malaysians travelling overseas and on visitors entering the country under a restricted movement order imposed from March 18 to March 31.
Only shops selling essentials, including food stores and pharmacists, would be allowed to stay open, he said in a televised address.
Turkey is also temporarily closing cafes, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, gyms and other venues as of midnight Monday, Turkish interior ministry said on Monday.
In a statement, the ministry also said that all gatherings and activities by non-governmental organisations will be postponed.
Germany’s federal and state governments also agreed sweeping rules shutting everything from non-essential shops to bars, clubs, theatres, museums, brothels and churches in order to slow the spread , the federal government said.
In a statement published on Monday, they said grocery shops, markets, banks, pharmacies and delivery services would remain open, while restaurants and other eating establishments would generally be allowed to open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The government said the new guidelines aimed “to further limit social contacts in public spaces in response to the corona epidemic in Germany.” Shops that remained open would have to implement heightened hygiene measures and monitor their entrances in order to avoid long queues building, it added.
The coronavirus spread
Europe is now clearly the epicentre of the outbreak as there are almost 170,000 cases of coronavirus globally and 6,509 reported deaths. In the past 24 hours, deaths and cases outside China surpassed the number inside China for the first time.
Spain has joined Italy in measures that amount to a partial lockdown of movement, and a growing number of countries in Europe’s “Schengen” border-free zone have started to impose restrictions on travel. France’s Emmanuel Macron is due to make an announcement later today, amid speculation that he will ask the country to accept greater levels of confinement
