Malaysia temporarily bans Chinese visitors from Hubei to curb Coronavirus spread

Malaysia has imposed a ban on all immigration facilities including issuing visas for Chinese citizens from Wuhan and the areas around Hubei province with immediate effect on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad’s office.

The measure was reportedly taken in a bid to impede the contagion of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in the Southeast Asian nation. The Malaysian government decided to implement the temporary ban following the rising death toll in China, which soared to 81 on Monday, according to the statement by the Malaysian government.

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Research indicated 44,000 cases in incubation stage

Malaysia has reported four confirmed cases of Coronavirus that originated in the province of Wuhan and infected several hundred in the epicentre city of Hubei. Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, has said that in lieu of extending screening procedures at airports and other places to detect individuals entering the country from China, the government has decided to suspend immigration facilities and issuance of visas to the Chinese with immediate effect, reports suggest.

Macau bans Chinese travellers

The government of Macau has also reportedly imposed a strict ban on the travellers from mainland China and Hubei province within 14 days of their arrival in the island unless they provide official documentation suggesting that they aren’t portraying any flu-like symptoms and are medically fit.

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Hong Kong declares Emergency

According to the reports, a senior public health expert in Hong Kong said that the real number of the infection cases from the Coronavirus is likely close to 25,000, significantly higher than 2,744 cases that China's National Health Commission is quoting.

Gabriel Leung, the head of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong told the international press that his team's research indicated over 44,000 cases in the incubation stage in Wuhan, the rate of infection as likely will double within every six to seven days, he added.

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(With Inputs from Agencies)