Malaysia virus cases jump to 553

Monday, 16 March 2020 15:48

Malaysia has reported a spike in coronavirus infections, with 125 new cases registered on Monday.

Authorities said it's the second biggest daily jump, with two-thirds of the country's 553 cases linked to a religious gathering in Kuala Lumpur.

Out of the 14,500 Malaysians who attended the event, only 7,000 have come forward for testing despite efforts from the government.

Meanwhile, Singapore closed all mosques on Friday after five people who attended the Malaysia event tested positive for the coronavirus.

Globally, 173,085 infections have been reported, of which 77,783 people have recovered. The death toll worldwide stands at 6,664.

More from International News

France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s

France's top court on Friday blocked a bill banning social media access for under-15s, saying it infringed upon freedom of expression and delivering a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who asked his government to rewrite the legislation.
Japan's record rains strand thousands at Narita airport; kill eight

Record rainfall in Japan stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita airport on Friday, bringing floods to the surrounding area that disrupted transport, knocked out power to 20,000 homes and killed eight.
Tunnel collapses at Indian hydropower project, killing at least 7

A tunnel under construction at a hydropower project in India's northern hill state of Uttarakhand collapsed overnight, leaving at least seven workers dead, officials said on Friday.
Air India A320 briefly lost key flight controls, Airbus analysis shows

An Air India Airbus dropped about 300 feet this month, injuring 24 people on board, after the aircraft registered a loss of hydraulic pressure that briefly left key flight controls unresponsive, according to a preliminary Airbus analysis reviewed by Reuters.