Malaysia opens up partly; all foreign workers to be tested

guidelines that the government only published on Sunday.

Face masks are also mandatory on public transport and the government is distributing 14 million of them at major transportation hubs. Political tension in the country is on the rise as opposition parties critical of Prime Minister Pedro S nchez's handling of the crisis threaten to block extending further the state of emergency in a parliamentary vote later this week.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's government on Monday said that all foreign workers must undergo virus testing as many businesses reopen in parts of the country for the first time since a partial Coronavirus lockdown began on March 18.

Senior Minister Ismail Sabri said Coronavirus cases rose over the weekend, including a new cluster involving foreign workers at a construction site in an area near Kuala Lumpur that has since been shut down.

As a result, the government decided to make it compulsory for all foreign workers in all sectors whether in construction, factories, commercial and including restaurants to undergo COVID-19 screening," he said. He said employers will pay for the tests, which will begin in Kuala Lumpur and the wealthiest state of Selangor.

The move appeared aimed at avoiding neighbouring Singapore's mistake in overlooking the virus's spread among its migrant worker population. Crowded dormitories housing foreign workers now account for nearly 90% of Singapore's 18,778 infections.

Malaysia has more than 2 million registered foreign workers, and over 2 million more who have no valid documents. It has locked down several virus hot spot areas in Kuala Lumpur and a wholesale market with a large population of migrant workers.

Virus cases have dropped sharply in recent weeks, but 227 new infections were reported over the weekend. Malaysia has confirmed 6,298 cases with 105 deaths.

The easing of the lockdown on Monday, days before it was due to end May 12, came as Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's government seeks to balance controlling the virus and reviving the hard-hit economy. The move has split public opinion amid fears that a sudden reopening of economic activities could spark a new wave of infections.

Nine of the country's 13 states, including Selangor and two impoverished rural states on Borneo island, have either refused to open up or restricted the types of businesses that can operate.