A medical worker collects a swab sample from a woman to be tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng/File Photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Thursday reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases in more than three months, as the Southeast Asian country deals with a fresh spike in infections.
The health ministry reported 4,855 new cases - the highest since Jan. 31 - and 27 deaths. It has seen a total of 458,077 coronavirus cases and 1,788 fatalities.
Malaysia declared a nationwide lockdown on Monday, prohibiting inter-district travel and shutting down schools. It has been under a state of emergency since January to curb the spread of the virus.
The latest spike is partly due to highly infectious variants found in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, the health ministry warned new daily cases could hit 5,000 by mid-May, a number not seen since late January.
