Malaysian PM quarantines after minister contracts virus

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

JAKARTA (AA) - The Malaysian prime minister said on Monday he will undergo a 14-day self-quarantine after being in contact with a minister who tested positive for coronavirus.

"This will not interfere with government affairs. I will continue to work from home and attend all meetings virtually," Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement.

Muhyiddin said all his recent tests for COVID-19 were negative.

He met Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri on Saturday in a high-level meeting on virus developments.

"To all Malaysians, I am currently undergoing treatment because COVID-19 has been confirmed positive by the Malaysian Ministry of Health," the minister wrote in a Facebook post. "I urge those who attended events I was at from September 24 to October 4 to go for COVID-19 screening immediately.”

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation confirmed a record 432 new infections, bringing the caseload to 12,813. It is the highest daily spike since restrictions were imposed in March. The country has seen a steady climb in cases in the past week.

*Writing by Maria Elisa Hospita with Anadolu Agency Indonesian language service in Jakarta