Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday began his self-quarantine at home for 14 days after an officer at a post-Cabinet meeting he had chaired tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that Tan Sri Muhyiddin tested negative for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
All those at the meeting on Thursday have been ordered to undergo testing for the coronavirus and to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.
"Every meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office practises social distancing and stringent health measures at all times," the Prime Minister's Office said.
Malaysia imposed strict movement controls on March 18, closing schools and non-essential businesses, and shutting down its borders as the number of coronavirus cases began rising.
These restrictions were eased earlier this month, with most businesses allowed to reopen. Schools, however, remain closed and large social gatherings are still banned.
Yesterday, the health authorities reported 78 new cases, bringing the total tally to 7,137. One new fatality was reported, raising the death toll to 115.
Mr Muhyiddin had a close brush with the coronavirus in early March, when a member of his newly-formed coalition Perikatan Nasional came into contact with a Covid-19 patient.
Supporters from the coalition had, at the time, crowded into Mr Muhyiddin's home to congratulate him after he was named the new prime minister, taking over from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir, in a recent interview with Agence France-Presse, said he had been keeping fit on a treadmill and exercise bike during the country's partial shutdown.
The 94-year-old political heavyweight said he has also been getting to grips with video platforms like Zoomalthough he admitted he needed help from younger relatives as he is "very primitive" when it comes to technology.
Asked about the main lessons from the crisis, he said: "We should be much more ready in dealing with viruses. We must learn how to deal with this, not only in trying to produce vaccines however, in the actions we've to take, as we're doing now, like lockdowns."
He also said countries should stop spending "trillions of dollars" on developing weapons.
"If the trillions of dollars are spent on research and medicine, we would be in a much safer world."
When asked how the pandemic has changed him or the world, Dr Mahathir suggested that it had humbled developed nations.
"There is a little bit of ego and arrogance here'Because we're developed, we're not going to suffer like these poor countries. You know their health standards are very poor' and all that. However, at this moment, the poor countries are doing better than the rich countries."