(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia announced a two-week nationwide lockdown to curb a relentless surge in Covid cases.

Only essential economic and service sectors will be allowed to operate, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Friday, days after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had ruled out a repeat of last year’s lockdown. The government will soon announce an aid package to companies and people affected by the new restrictions, which will last from June 1-14, according to the statement.

Virus cases have set records for four straight days, with Friday’s tally of new cases exceeding 8,000 -- a level the government hadn’t expected to reach until next month. The outbreak, made worse by the emergence of new, more aggressive virus variants, has stressed the healthcare system and already prompted the government to tighten restrictions last weekend.

“The government will ensure the public healthcare system will not collapse and a variety of support and help will be given to the Health Ministry to increase the capacity of hospitals nationwide,” the PMO said. “The government will also increase vaccination in the coming weeks in efforts to create herd immunity.”

READ: Malaysia Covid Spike May Spark ‘Vertical Surge,’ Health DG Says

Less than 3% of Malaysia’s population is fully vaccinated, though the government aims to achieve herd immunity by year-end.

(Updates with more details throughout.)

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