KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has advised Malaysians to be cautious and step up precautions as the Covid-19 Omicron variant may be more transmissible than others.
In a Tweet, Khairy said it is unknown how infectious the Omicron variant is but it is probably more transmissible than the Delta variant.
He reminded the public to continue to exercise caution and follow the ministry's guidelines to contain and prevent the spread of Covid-19.
"We know Omicron is probably more transmissible than Delta but we don't yet know it's virulence.
"What we can do in the meantime is step up public health interventions (masks, distancing, hygiene), improve indoor air flow, keep our aged safe and take a booster when offered," he said.
Omicron was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on Nov 24 and has been discovered in other countries outside Africa, including Belgium, Hong Kong, Britain, Germany, Italy and Israel.
On 26, Khairy Jamaluddin announced that travellers with a 14-day travel history to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe would no longer be allowed to enter Malaysia.