KUALA LUMPUR: More proactive measures are needed to contain the spread of the Omicron variant that hit the country's shores yesterday.
Public health experts who are making the urgent call to the government said the measures would include additional testing for travellers during quarantine, ramping up administration of booster shots, as well as advocating global vaccine equity.
Virologist Associate Professor Dr Chee Hui Yee said all travellers from countries with substantial locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases should be required to undergo a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test towards the end of their 14-day quarantine period.
This additional test, she said, was required because the incubation period of the Omicron variant was still not known.
"Furthermore, travellers should observe their mandatory quarantine at designated quarantine centres rather than at home.
"Quarantine centres are equipped with better monitoring mechanisms and some would become complacent unless they are supervised by the authorities," she told the New Straits Times.
Dr Chee also reminded Malaysians to wear properly-fitted face masks as it was the most important and effective control measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Malaysia reported its first Omicron variant case yesterday involving a 19-year-old female from South Africa, who was studying at a private higher learning institution in Ipoh, Perak.
The woman, who was asymptomatic, returned to Malaysia via Singapore on Nov 19 and completed her 10-day quarantine period at her apartment in Ipoh.
All her close contacts had also been tested and found to be negative.
Following the discovery, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced several control measures, including fitting digital tracking devices on returnees from high-risk countries during the home quarantine period.
He said the travel ban on the eight countries — South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Malawi — would also remain in place.
Tourists visiting Langkawi must also undergo additional tests on the third and fifth day from their date of arrival as a precautionary measure.
These measures, said epidemiologist and biostatistician Associate Professor Dr Malina Osman, should be coupled with more vigorous booster dose administration so that the Omicron variant did not take advantage of a person's waning immunity.
"Although we have adequate preventive measures, the public must stay vigilant by avoiding unnecessary social gatherings, such as hosting victory parties for their favourite football teams.
"Besides expediting booster dose administration, the government should also strengthen the enforcement of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and promote Covid-19 self-screening initiatives," she said.
Meanwhile, epidemiologist and biostatistician Professor Dr Jamalludin Ab Rahman said enforcing travel bans against certain high-risk countries could deter countries from reporting cases of new variants in the future.
"We are detecting more Omicron variant cases now because we are actively looking for it. But, the variant could already be present in most countries.
"We have to be very careful with making decisions on a travel ban because it is easy to implement but difficult to lift them later on. As such, it is wise to be guided by science rather than sentiment on this policy.
"For now, those infected with Omicron are only displaying mild symptoms. It may take another one to two weeks for us to see the actual capability of the variant," he said.
Dr Jamalludin said the existing standard operating procedures (SOP) were sufficient in curbing the virus transmission and this required strict public compliance. The emergence of the Omicron variant, he added, also pointed out the need for more equitable vaccine distribution globally.
"The new variant has shown that no country is safe until every country is safe," he said.
"As long as vaccine inequity prevails, no one can be certain on when the pandemic will be over."