Malaysia will close its borders for at least two weeks with drastic restrictions on travel and all foreign inbound travellers banned.
The Movement Control Order will run until the end of March which effectively halts travel in and out of the country except for its border with Singapore.
Malaysians coming back from overseas will have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The virtual lockdown sees the banning of major public gatherings and the closure of schools, places of worship, businesses and government offices.
"We cannot wait until the situation deteriorates. Drastic moves are needed immediately to restrict public movement and curb the spread of the virus," Prime Minister Muhyiddini Yassin said.
Supermarkets, public markets, gas stations and convenience stores can remain open to sell essential supplies.
"I am aware that all of you may feel that the action taken by the government will cause inconvenience and difficulty in your daily lives,"Muhyiddin said.
"However, this action must be taken by the government to curb the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic that is likely to cost the lives of people of this country."
The country saw a huge jump of 315 new coronavirus cases in the past two days.
It now has 553 confirmed cases.
