The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia during 2020.
Timeline January Eight Chinese nationals were quarantined at a hotel in Johor Bahru on 24 January after coming into contact with an infected person in neighbouring Singapore. Despite early reports of them testing negative for the virus, three of them were confirmed to be infected on 25 January and subsequently quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor. The Malaysian health ministry published guidelines on the virus and established designated hospitals in each of Malaysia's states to manage any positive cases. The Malaysian public were reminded by local authorities to take precautionary measures in the wake of the virus threat with those travelling to China have been advised to stay away from animal farms and markets in the country and to not eat raw or semi-cooked meats. Following several earlier suspected cases in Sabah's capital of Kota Kinabalu, all direct flights between the state with China were stopped indefinitely.
On 24 January, a two-year-old child who was suspected to have been infected was detained along with their parents. The parents refused quarantine and were detained the next day by police at Senai International Airport before returning to China. The patient including others who refused quarantine were subsequently placed under close monitoring by the local Health Ministry. On 26 January, a fourth case of the virus, unconnected to previous cases, was detected. A suspected case was also detected in the state of Kedah's island of Langkawi involving two female Chinese nationals with both victims quarantined at the Sultanah Maliha Hospital; one later confirmed positive on 29 January. With the increasing number of cases reported in neighbouring Thailand, both the state of Kedah and Penang tightened their borders by conducting stringent checks at its international entry points. A Chinese female national in Bintulu of Sarawak also suspected of having contracted the virus led to the state tightening its border and postponing direct flights to Hainan, despite a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) establishing direct flights with Sarawak.
Of the total of 25 Chinese nationals in Sabah earlier suspected of having contracted the virus, most of them tested negative as of 28 January although one of them later tested positive for the virus upon reaching China. Another eight suspected cases were recorded in Sarawak on 29 January; five in Kuching and one each in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. Of the total eight suspected cases in the state, six have tested negative. Within the same day, three additional positive cases were confirmed in West Malaysia, involving a four-year-old child quarantined at the Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Kedah, a 52-year-old man at Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor and a woman at Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor. An eighth case was reported at the Permai Hospital in Johor on the next day.
February
On 4 February, Malaysia reported two new cases, including a 41-year-old local male, which was the first case involving a Malaysian. The case patient had a recent trip to Singapore and is quarantined in Sungai Buloh Hospital. The other case involved a 63-year-old male from China. That same day, a Chinese girl recovered from COVID-19 and was discharged from hospital.
On 5 February, two Malaysian evacuees from Wuhan tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 12.
On 6 February, Malaysia reported its first local transmission, the younger sister of the 41-year-old Malaysian who tested positive for COVID-19 on 4 February. She was warded at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar. A positive case involving a 37-year-old woman from Wuhan, who had arrived in Malaysia on 25 January, was reported on the same day.
On 7 February, one new case was reported, bringing the total number to 15.
On 8 February, 11 new patients were admitted to Sibu Hospital, Miri Hospital and the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching. The following day, the Sarawak Health Department established a hotline in response to the virus outbreak. That same day, the total number of cases reached 16. In addition, the total number of recoveries reached two.
On 9 February, one new case was reported, bringing the total number of cases to 17. One recovery was reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to three.
On 10 February, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee prohibited entry by Singaporeans due to a major increase of positive cases in the neighbouring country. That same day, the total number of cases rose to 18. The latest case was a Malaysian citizen who had recently traveled to China.
On 13 February, one new case was reported, bringing the total number to 13. The new case was a 39-year old woman from China.
On 15 February, three new cases were reported, bringing the total number to 22. Four new recoveries were reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to seven. That same day, an elderly American woman, who was among hundreds of passengers who disembarked from the cruise ship in Cambodia and flew to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, was identified as Malaysia's 22nd confirmed case. Meanwhile, the remaining 143 passengers, including a further six passengers from the same flight with the woman, had been declared free from the virus and were allowed to return into their respective countries.
On 16 February, one recovery was reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to eight. That same day, the Holland America Line and Cambodian health ministry requested that Malaysian health authorities re-test the US citizen to ensure the accuracy of its findings. The American woman tested positive for COVID-19 during the second test. Following this second test confirmation, the Malaysian authorities announced that the remaining passengers of the would not be allowed to enter the country despite several flights being chartered by Holland America Line with Malaysia Airlines. The cruise liner's passengers had not been able to depart from Cambodia since the country did not have any direct flights to Europe and the United States. During a third check-up, the American woman tested negative for COVID-19. In response, the Cambodian government questioned the accuracy of the Malaysian authorities' testing of the American woman, while claiming there were no diplomatic tensions between Cambodia and Malaysia over the testing of the American woman. On 22 February, the Malaysian Health Ministry issued a statement that the America female patient was recovering after 72 hours of treatment.
On 17 February, one new recovery was reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to nine. The individual was the first Malaysia who had tested positive for COVID-19.
On 20 February, two new recoveries were reported, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients in hospital down to five.
On 26 February, 20 of Malaysia's 22 positive cases had recovered. Two remained in hospital. That same day, a female Malaysian hospital worker in Sabah's Kudat District suspected of having contracted the virus was quarantined when she developed symptoms after returning from South Korea. Although she was later declared free from the virus, the Malaysian government imposed a ban on travelers from South Korea in response to the rise in positive cases within that country.
On 27 February, one new case was reported, bringing the total number to 23. Two new recoveries were reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to 22.
On 28 February, two new cases were reported, bringing the total number to 25.
March
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 1 0 29 - - - - - - - 2 4 33 - - - - - - - 3 7 36 22 - - - 14 - - 4 14 50 - - - - - - - 5 5 55 - - - - - - - 6 28 83 - - - - - - - 7 10 93 - - - - - - - 8 6 99 - - - - - - - 9 19 118 - - - - - - - 10 12 130 - - - - - - - 11 10 149 - - - - - - - 12 9 158 6 32 - - - - - 13 39 200 - - - - - - - 14 41 238 2 35 - - 203 - - 15 190 428 7 42 - - - - - 16 125 553 0 42 - - - - - 17 120 673 7 49 2 2 - - 12 18 117 790 11 60 0 2 - 15 1 19 110 900 - - 0 2 - - - 20 130 1,030 12 87 1 3 - - 26 21 153 1,183 - - 5 8 - - - 22 123 1,306 - - 3 11 - - - 23 112 1,518 - - 3 14 - - - 24 106 1,624 - - 2 16 - - - 25 172 1,796 - - 4 20 - 45 34 26 235 2,031 - - 4 24 - - - 27 130 2,161 - - 2 26 - - - 28 159 2,320 - - 1 27 - - - 29 150 2,470 - - 8 35 - - - 30 156 2,626 - - 2 37 - - - 31 140 2,766 58 537 6 43 - 94 60
In March 2020, several countries in Southeast Asia recorded a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases as a result of a Tablighi Jamaat religious gathering held at "Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling", Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, which was suspected to have infected many participants with the virus. The event, which was held from 27 February to 1 March 2020, was attended by about 12,500 participants, including about 1,500 participants from outside Malaysia. Following the surge of COVID-19 infection cases in Malaysia stemming from the Kuala Lumpur religious gathering, the Ministry of Health announced that Malaysia was in the late containment stage and that a special meeting would be held to discuss the next course of action.
On 16 March, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the federal government would be imposing a nationwide lockdown known as the Movement Control Order (MCO), which would come into effect on 18 March and last for two weeks.
On 17 March, Malaysia reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus, a 60-year-old priest from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Kuching, Sarawak and a 34-year-old participant of the Muslim religious gathering in Sri Petaling from Johor Bahru, Johor.
On 18 March, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) also published a federal gazette that restricted individuals from interstate travelling to other states to curb the spread of COVID-19 within the country.
On 19 March, Health Director-General Noor Hisham once again urged people to stay home, saying that Malaysia has a small chance of blocking the rapid spread of coronavirus disease as compared to the current situation facing by Italy; stating that if it misses the third wave of infection, the situation will be out of control similar to what happened in Italy. He also indicated that the Government would extend the "movement restriction order" for another 14 days. The Prime Minister also appealed to all Malaysians to adhere to the movement control in order to prevent further infections within the country.
On 20 March, it was reported that 15 medical personnel had contracted COVID-19, with one being placed in an intensive care unit (ICU). On 21 March, it was reported that a total of six Malaysian police officers had been infected by the virus while serving their duty.
On 25 March, a total of 72 Malaysia's health workers have been infected by the virus. On the same day, the government extended the movement control order until 14 April. On 26 March, the Malaysian royal household confirmed that seven officers from the nation's National Palace had been confirmed positive, which caused Malaysia's head of state, Abdullah of Pahang and his spouse to be put into quarantine, although they themselves had undergone COVID-19 tests with negative results.
April