COVID-19: MCO extended again until May 12

The Movement Control Order (MCO), with its third phase scheduled to expire on April 28, will be extended for another two weeks until May 12, 2020.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in announcing this in a televised address tonight, explained that with the extension, the government would evaluate the latest data provided by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to determine the next steps.

“I do not rule out the possibility that the MCO will be extended further. This means that all of you may not be able to celebrate Hari Raya in the kampungs.

“You are still not able to work, except for those who work in the permissible sectors. The business is still not fully open,” he said.

However, the Prime Minister said, if the COVID 19 cases continue to register a significant decline, the government would likely relax control of movements in several sectors gradually including the social sector.

“This is to enable all of you to live a more comfortable life. The National Security Council is developing a comprehensive plan on this.

“With the possible extension of the MCO period, the government is studying ways to revive the economy, or revive the economy in stages,” he added.

Muhyiddin explained that the decision included drafting a short and medium-term Economic Recovery Plan to ensure economic activity could be revived quickly after the end of the MCO period.

“In this regard, I have directed the Ministry of Finance and the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department to develop a comprehensive short, medium and long-term Economic Recovery Plan.

“The focus now is to identify measures and initiatives that will stimulate short and medium-term economic growth and encourage the confidence of the people and investors to revitalize the country's economy.

"Among the initiatives being planned are building capacity and skills of the people, promoting domestic spending, increasing the resilience of industries including SMEs, and fostering a more positive investment environment for the future," he added.

Earlier, the government announced that the MCO had been extended for two weeks from April 15 to 28.