KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has registered 58 new Covid-19 Omicron cases through whole genome sequencing (WGS) bringing the cumulative Omicron-variant case count in the country to 122.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said of the 58 new cases, 54 were imported cases while four others were from local infections.
From the 54 imported cases, he said, 39 were from Saudi Arabia, seven from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (four), Nigeria (two), and one each from Kazakhstan and France.
"Meanwhile, the four locally-transmitted cases are believed to have been infected by an Umrah pilgrim who was found positive for the Covid-19 Omicron variant," he said in a statement today.
Out of the total 122 Omicron cases in the country, Khairy said 117 involved imported cases and five were from local infections.
"Based on the total number of Omicron variant cases reported, 71 cases or 58.2 per cent involved Umrah pilgrims.
"The Health Ministry would also like to inform that the results of PCR Genotyping Assay conducted by the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) on 1,774 Covid-19 positive cases among travelers arriving in Malaysia between Dec 1 and 31, 2021 found that 1,220 (68.8 per cent) samples showed possible (presumptive) Omicron variant.
"Of the 1,220 presumptive Omicron variant, 928 (76.1 per cent) involved samples of travellers who had arrived from Saudi Arabia."
On the latest four locally-transmitted Omicron variant cases, Khairy said they were all detected in Kedah.
He said all four were initially identified as close contacts to a Covid-19 Omicron positive patient who had returned from Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Dec 12.
"They were exposed (to the infection) on Dec 13, 2021, and all of them began to show category two symptoms on Dec 17, 2021.
"Another Covid-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test conducted on Dec 19, 2021, showed they were positive with a cycle threshold (CT) value between 20.80 and 21.49.
"All of them were given treatment for 14 days at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani, Kedah."
In light of the rising number of cases of the Omicron variant in the country, the health minister reminded those who are currently under compulsory quarantine to take instructions seriously and not meet with anyone during the period.
He said failure to comply would result in more Covid-19 infections in the country including the spread of the Omicron variant among family members and the community.
Khairy also reminded the public to immediately get their booster shots so that they are properly protected from the Covid-19 virus.