Malaysia warns of new coronavirus wave following election spike

Malaysian authorities warned of a new wave of coronavirus after 260 new infections were reported on Thursday, the biggest daily spike since early June, following an election in the country’s second-largest state Sabah.

Director-general of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said the increase in cases could be seen as “the beginning of a new wave” and urged the public to continue practicing social distancing and avoid leaving their homes unless necessary.

“It is up to us now to flatten the curve. We have done it before and we can do it again,” he told a news conference.

Thursday’s rise was the second-largest since the start of the pandemic, which peaked at 277 daily cases on June 4.