PM: ‘Total lockdown’ is extended, financial aid to be announced either Monday or Tuesday

The “total lockdown” scheduled to expire tomorrow will be extended as the country’s COVID-19 infection numbers have not met the threshold set in the National Recovery Plan, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

National news agency Bernama reported the prime minister as saying that daily COVID-19 cases were still above the limit of 4,000 a day, one of the three benchmarks that must be reached before the NRP could move into the second phase.

Muhyiddin also stressed that Malaysia would not exit Phase One until all three NRP indicators — new cases below 4,000 daily, “moderate” demand on intensive care capacity, and 10 per cent vaccination in the country — have been met.

“Now they say the Movement Control Order (MCO) is about to end. I want to say that from now on we don’t call it MCO, but we say we are in a particular phase and now we are in Phase One (of the NRP) until July, maybe the middle of the month or so.

“It is wrong to say June 28 is the end of the MCO,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

However, the prime minister said the government will announce additional financial assistance either tomorrow or Tuesday.

Muhyiddin said he would announce the new measures personally and assured small-medium enterprises (SMEs) that they would not be left out.

The PM stressed that the government has consistently been working on assistance schemes for the around 12 million workers directly affected by measures introduced to suppress the pandemic here.

“We are aware everyone is waiting to see how the government is going to help those affected during this phase (of National Recovery Plan) and subsequent phases until the end of the year. Of course, there will be assistance for B40, M40 and loan moratorium for the T20 (eligible) group.

“We have taken account of the needs of all these groups more comprehensively than before. I will announce the details tomorrow or the day after, so that everyone knows where we stand. But what’s important is that support is given to all groups in society. There may be an increase in the form of assistance to be extended,” he said.

Earlier today, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz appeared to indicate that the loan repayment moratorium from last year would be reintroduced. — Malay Mail

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