KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Mass testing for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will be done by the Health Ministry at high-risk areas to curb its spread in the country, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

In his special Covid-19 address to the nation, Muhyiddin said such efforts must be kept up before Malaysia can fully break the chain of Covid-19 infections that were still rising.

"This means that the public’s movement must continue to be controlled. The government’s strategy is to seek, test, isolate and treat Covid-19 patients.

"The Health Ministry will therefore increase its capacity to conduct screening tests on a larger scale. This includes conducting mass testing particularly in high risk areas,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the government’s strategy would succeed if members of the public do not expose themselves to the infection through daily interactions.

"In other words, we want to halt the spread of infection. Just be mentally and physically prepared to stay at home for a reasonably longer period of time,” he said.

Malaysia today entered the eighth day of the original two-week long movement control order to contain and break the chain of infection of the Covid-19 virus.

The MCO is now extended to April 14.

Up to 5pm yesterday, Malaysia recorded 1,624 Covid-19 infections with 1,426 active cases and a total of 183 patients recovered.

As of today, a total of 17 fatalities related to Covid-19 have been recorded.

He also said the Health Ministry has made preparations to prepare 3,585 beds in 34 hospitals nationwide to cater to Covid-19 patients, with 34 per cent of the existing bed capacity currently in use.

"If there is an increase of positive Covid-19 cases that went beyond the existing capacity in hospitals, several locations have been identified to be turned into temporary quarantine and isolation centres,” he said.