KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 22 — The Ministry of Health has not received any reports of a new variant of the COVID-19 virus in Malaysia which was detected in the United Kingdom and is said to be more infectious.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said if there were reports related to the matter, genome sequencing would be carried out to identify the presence of the variant as well as taking action to prevent its spread.
“Malaysia has not yet fully open its borders because we are worried that COVID-19 cases from abroad like this will happen. So far, some countries such as Saudi Arabia and Germany have suspended flights from the United Kingdom due to new variant of the virus.
“In the past, Malaysia had to face the Sivagangga Cluster where the D614G mutation makes COVID-19 more infectious … therefore, national border control is very important at this time,” he told reporters after officiating Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital Psychiatric Complex here, today.
Also present were state Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chairman Dr Alias Razak and Terengganu State Health director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus.
In the meantime, he also praised the cooperation and swift action between the Terengganu state government and frontline staff in the state in isolating and treating individuals who were positively detected as well as their close contacts.
“The action is very effective in controlling COVID-19 in Terengganu and the level of compliance of the population is also very good. The District Risk Reduction Programme (DRCP) carried out has also successfully proved that there is no COVID-19 red zone in Terengganu so far.
“The COMBI (Communication for Change in Behaviour) programme and Kospen (Healthy Community Empowers Nation) are also mobilised to continue educating the community to comply with the SOP (standard operating procedures) to contain the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
