Poyang Lake is at its most depleted level on record, and several reservoirs in central China were reported last month to be at 'dead pool' status, meaning they did not have enough water to dispatch downstream.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali says all medicines are effective regardless of brand or manufacturer.

Queues snaked around malls and outside office complexes as people waited to be swabbed for samples by health workers in protective gear.

The country is facing its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the first wave of the pandemic emerged in Wuhan in late 2019.

Supermarket chain ParknShop announced limits of five items per customer on staples while pharmacy Watsons put the same limits on medication for pain, fever and colds.