Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday announced a nationwide travel ban and a 14-day lockdown in the capital and five states, as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases that threaten to overload its healthcare system, Reuters reports.

Malaysia was among the first nations to impose strict movement curbs in March during the early stages of the pandemic, which helped keep transmission down but led to its first economic contraction in a decade in the second quarter.

Health officials say the current wave of infections that started in September could see daily cases grow to as many as 8,000 by May if strict curbs are not imposed.

“Our healthcare system is at a breaking point,” Muhyiddin said in a live televised address.

The number of new daily infections breached the 3,000 mark for the first time last week, while total coronavirus cases passed 138,000 on Monday, with 555 deaths overall.