KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Spas and reflexology, wellness, and pedicure and manicure centres may reopen in states under a conditional movement control order (CMCO) and recovery movement control order (RMCO), effective tomorrow, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced today.

The exceptions would be Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang, as these states are still under a movement control order (MCO) due to the high number of Covid-19 cases, he added.

"These businesses can operate now in CMCO and RMCO areas. But for MCO areas, they are still on hold,” Ismail Sabri said this evening during his security briefing.

Today, the country recorded 25 more deaths due to Covid-19, the highest count in a single day, even as cases have dipped to 2,712 overall.

Today’s death count surpasses the previous record of 24 lives lost on February 8 and raises the total number of fatalities to 1,030 since the pandemic started.

The current MCO, which was to end tomorrow, has been extended for another two weeks, until March 4, for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang.

All other states, except for Perlis and Sarawak, will be placed under CMCO according to the same time frame.

Sarawak is the only state under CMCO currently. It started on February 15 and was scheduled to end on March 1, when the rest of the country was placed under restrictions that banned inter-state and inter-district travel.

The extension of these new restriction conditions nationwide is set to start on February 19 and end on March 4, except for Sarawak.