KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Tuesday said targeted lockdowns would be imposed in areas with high rates of coronavirus infections, as the country grapples with a sharp spike in cases over the past two weeks.

Malaysia’s health ministry reported 691 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths on Tuesday, setting another new daily record in the aftermath of an election in the state of Sabah last month.

“For now we are not thinking of imposing a total lockdown nationwide. If we do that again, it could bring down the country’s economic and social systems,” Muhyiddin said in a national address on Facebook Live from his home.

(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Martin Petty)

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