* Malaysia has most infections in Southeast Asia
* Most cases linked to Feb. 27-March 1 religious event
* Southeast Asia records more than 3,460 infections
* Southeast Asia's death tally at 86, more than half in
Indonesia
(Adds new figures, regional details; previous story slugged
HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/MALAYSIA)
By Joseph Sipalan
KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Reuters) - Malaysia deployed the
army on Sunday to enforce a two-week curb on travel on a country
that has Southeast Asia's highest number of coronavirus cases,
most of them linked to a mass religious gathering held late last
month.
The virus has so far infected more than 3,460 people across
Southeast Asia, with 86 deaths, more than half of them in the
region's most populous country, Indonesia.
After Malaysia imposed stringent travel restrictions on
Wednesday in the face of an upsurge in cases, Singapore and
Vietnam both announced bans on foreigners entering the
countries, with cases brought from outside on the rise.
Troops joined police manning roadblocks and carrying out
patrols in Malaysia to ensure full compliance with some of the
tightest movement restrictions in the region.
"Even though police have said compliance is 90% now, 10% is
not a small number," Minister of Defence Ismail Sabri Yaakob
said.
About 63% of Malaysia's 1,306 cases are linked to a Feb.
27-March 1 Islamic gathering at a mosque near the capital Kuala
Lumpur attended by people from more than two dozen countries.
The health ministry said 11,000 of an estimated 14,500
Malaysian attendees has been found and 6,700 had been tested,
but it was trying to track the rest.
"We need to find them, we need to test them, we need to
isolate them and we need to treat them," Ministry of Health
Director General Noor Hisham Abdullah told a news briefing.
The person who brought the infection may have been from
overseas, he said. Some 1,500 participants were from abroad.
The number of cases has risen sharply across Southeast Asia
this month. Indonesia announced 10 more deaths - bringing the
total number there to 48. In the Philippines, the death toll
rose by six to 25.
EMERGENCY HOSPITAL
With widespread anticipation of a surge in cases, Indonesia
has turned its "Athlete's Village" built for the 2018 Asian
Games into an emergency hospital with a capacity to hold more
than 4,000 patients. Indonesia's rate of testing has been far below that of
neighbours, leading to suspicions it has far more cases than
reported.
As of Friday, Indonesia had tested 1,898 people or around
seven tests per one million people. Singapore said it had
carried out tests on 25,000 people by Friday - about 4,500 tests
per million people.
Singapore said it would not allow any short-term visitors to
transit or enter the city-state. Vietnam also barred entry for
all foreigners from Sunday, except for special cases.
In another measure, Vietnam closed the mausoleum for
revolutionary leader and founding president Ho Chi Minh.
With cases in Thailand jumping by 188 - the most in a single
day - authorities urged workers not to flee Bangkok for their
home towns after further restrictions were announced at the
weekend on businesses and shopping malls. People thronged one bus station to leave the city.
Many of the cases in Thailand have been linked to a boxing
stadium and entertainment spots - which have now been ordered to
shut.
"Most of the new cases were found in Bangkok and were among
young people who continue to have social activities, which can
lead to more infections," Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a Public Health
Ministry spokesman, told a news conference.