06:19

A further 125 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Malaysia, bringing the total number of cases to 553, Rebecca Ratcliffe, the Guardian’s south east Asia correspondent, reports.



Most of the cases are linked to a religious gathering at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by 16,000 people. There is also growing concern that a Hindu gathering which attracted 30,000 people in Penang state on 8 March, could have fuelled transmission.



There are calls for the government to take tougher action and place key areas under lockdown.



Lee Boon Chye, the country’s former deputy health minister, said in a statement that “the number of cases and contacts is enormous and it is unlikely MOH (Ministry of Health) is able to track and isolate all”.

Containment is no longer possible, he said.

