Malaysia's health authorities reported 62 new coronavirus cases, the sharpest spike since early June, just as the government began barring long-term immigration pass holders from countries with high infection numbers.

Southeast Asia's third largest economy imposed a ban on pass holders from 23 countries that have reported more than 150,000 Covid-19 cases, in a bid to clamp down on imported cases. Countries on the ban list include the United States, Britain and France, Reuters reported.

Malaysia has so far avoided the kind of contagion seen in neighbours the Philippines and Indonesia, which have 238,727 and 196,989 cases respectively. Indonesia's death toll of 8,130 is the region's highest.