ALL inter-state travel will be barred in Malaysia from January 13-26 to stop the rise of Covid-19 cases, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Inter-district traveling in the movement-control order (MCO) states will also be prohibited,” said the prime minister in his speech which was broadcast live to the country at 6pm today.

The MCO will be imposed in six states – Penang, Selangor, Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya & Labuan), Malacca, Johor and Sabah starting Wednesday while the conditional MCO (CMCO) will be introduced in six states – Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.

Perlis and Sarawak, which have the fewest active Covid-19 cases currently, will remain in the recovery MCO (RMCO) phase.

“Road blocks will begin at 12.01am on Wednesday, January 13,” said Muhyiddin.

People, however, will be allowed to travel within a 10km radius in the MCO states, said the 72-year-old.

The other salient points of the new phase of lockdowns are;

• Only two people will be allowed to be in the same vehicle for the purpose of buying essential items.
• five economic sectors – manufacturing, construction, services, trading and distribution, and agriculture and commodities – will be permitted to operate. The International Trade and Industry and Works ministries will publish a list of “essential economic sectors” allowed to operate.
• Only 30% of management staff will be allowed to be in the office at any one time while the number of support staff allowed will be determined by employers subject to social distancing regulations.
• Non-essential economic sectors are instructed to work from home. 
• There will be no dining in in restaurants in the MCO states and they will only be allowed to do take-away.
• Dine-ins are allowed in CMCO and RMCO states subject to existing SOPs.
• Students undergoing SPM in 2020 and 2021 will be allowed to attend school in the MCO states.
• Only five people (committee members) are allowed in mosques, temples and churches in the MCO states.
• Individual exercise activities such as jogging and cycling is permitted. 

The number of new Covid-19 cases have been hovering around the 2,000-mark since November last year, with the nation hitting a new record of 3,027 cases on January 7.

The total number of cases as of Sunday was 135,992, with 551 total deaths.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had warned that the daily number of cases can hit around 5,000-8,000 daily by May unless circuit breakers are put in place.

Malaysia first instituted the MCO on March 18, barring all non-essential economic activity and prohibiting non-essential movement within the country. The first MCO lasted till May 3. 

After that, the government introduced the CMCO from May 4 until June 9. Under the CMCO, social gatherings, interstate travel and all economic activity were permitted although schools and religious activities were still prohibited.

On June 10, the government again relaxed the restrictions, terming it as RMCO. Under RMCO, schools, religious activities, interstate travel and social gatherings were allowed, subject to social distancing rules.

The RMCO was first extended to December 31 before it was again extended to March 31 as the number of Covid-19 cases spiked. – January 11, 2021.