After a close contact with a Covid-19 patient, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yakoob is under quarantine, his office said on Monday.

The office did not say whether he had been tested for coronavirus or how long he would be in quarantine.

Sabri was sworn in as prime minister earlier this month. He succeeded Muhyiddin Yassin who resigned after failing to hold onto a narrow majority in parliament.

He takes charge amid public anger over the handling of the pandemic, with a recent surge in COVID-19 cases to record highs and downgraded growth forecasts after the economy has been battered by extended lockdowns.