Reuters, KUALA LUMPUR

Migrant workers in Malaysia are now required to be tested for the new coronavirus, a senior minister said, as the government eased six-week long curbs on movement and businesses.

Thousands of Malaysians joined Monday’s morning rush hour as businesses resumed for the first time since the imposition on March 18 of restrictions to contain the spread of the virus.

Senior security minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told reporters foreign workers in all sectors must now undergo mandatory screening for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, after an outbreak was reported among migrants working at a Kuala Lumpur construction site last week.

The announcement comes after Malaysia detained hundreds of undocumented migrants over the weekend, sparking criticism from the UN and rights groups. Ismail Sabri had earlier defended the arrests, saying that all of those detained had tested negative for the virus.