Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the situation of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Malaysia has not reached a critical stage that tourism must be stopped.

He was responding to an online petition urging the government to ban Chinese nationals from entering the country.

Dr Mahathir however added that the authorities will keep on checking on tourists and those showing even the slightest symptom of coronavirus infection will be immediately quarantined.