The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia during 2020.
Timeline
January
Eight Chinese nationals were quarantined at a hotel in Johor Bahru on 24 January after coming into contact with an infected person in neighbouring Singapore. Despite early reports of them testing negative for the virus, three of them were confirmed to be infected on 25 January and subsequently quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor. The Malaysian health ministry published guidelines on the virus and established designated hospitals in each of Malaysia's states to manage any positive cases. The Malaysian public were reminded by local authorities to take precautionary measures in the wake of the virus threat with those travelling to China have been advised to stay away from animal farms and markets in the country and to not eat raw or semi-cooked meats. Following several earlier suspected cases in Sabah's capital of Kota Kinabalu, all direct flights between the state with China were stopped indefinitely.
On 24 January, a two-year-old child who was suspected to have been infected was detained along with their parents. The parents refused quarantine and were detained the next day by police at Senai International Airport before returning to China. The patient including others who refused quarantine were subsequently placed under close monitoring by the local Health Ministry. On 26 January, a fourth case of the virus, unconnected to previous cases, was detected. A suspected case was also detected in the state of Kedah's island of Langkawi involving two female Chinese nationals with both victims quarantined at the Sultanah Maliha Hospital; one later confirmed positive on 29 January. With the increasing number of cases reported in neighbouring Thailand, both the state of Kedah and Penang tightened their borders by conducting stringent checks at its international entry points. A Chinese female national in Bintulu of Sarawak also suspected of having contracted the virus led to the state tightening its border and postponing direct flights to Hainan, despite a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) establishing direct flights with Sarawak.
Of the total of 25 Chinese nationals in Sabah earlier suspected of having contracted the virus, most of them tested negative as of 28 January although one of them later tested positive for the virus upon reaching China. Another eight suspected cases were recorded in Sarawak on 29 January; five in Kuching and one each in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. Of the total eight suspected cases in the state, six have tested negative. Within the same day, three additional positive cases were confirmed in West Malaysia, involving a four-year-old child quarantined at the Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Kedah, a 52-year-old man at Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor and a woman at Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor. An eighth case was reported at the Permai Hospital in Johor on the next day.
February
On 4 February, Malaysia reported two new cases, including a 41-year-old local male, which was the first case involving a Malaysian. The case patient had a recent trip to Singapore and is quarantined in Sungai Buloh Hospital. The other case involved a 63-year-old male from China. That same day, a Chinese girl recovered from COVID-19 and was discharged from hospital.
On 5 February, two Malaysian evacuees from Wuhan tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 12.
On 6 February, Malaysia reported its first local transmission, the younger sister of the 41-year-old Malaysian who tested positive for COVID-19 on 4 February. She was warded at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar. A positive case involving a 37-year-old woman from Wuhan, who had arrived in Malaysia on 25 January, was reported on the same day.
On 7 February, one new case was reported, bringing the total number to 15.
On 8 February, 11 new patients were admitted to Sibu Hospital, Miri Hospital and the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching. The following day, the Sarawak Health Department established a hotline in response to the virus outbreak. That same day, the total number of cases reached 16. In addition, the total number of recoveries reached two.
On 9 February, one new case was reported, bringing the total number of cases to 17. One recovery was reported, bringing the total number of recoveries to three.
On 10 February, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee prohibited entry by Singaporeans due to a major increase of positive cases in the neighbouring country. That same day, the total number of cases rose to 18. The latest case was a Malaysian citizen who had recently traveled to China.