KOTA BARU: Locals in Kelantan have been spotted wearing face masks again as a precaution against Covid-19 and its new Omicron subvariant.
Although Covid-19 cases in Kelantan are under control and no cases of the new subvariant 'Arcturus' has been reported so far, locals have started wearing face masks especially in public places.
The return of many outsiders in conjunction with the Hari Raya celebration and fear of being infected is a also a factor which has prompted locals to take this precaution.
Trader Wan Khadir Wan Mamat said he had asked his children to wear their face masks when they leave home.
"For me, it is better to wear face masks as it can protect us from the virus," said the 50-year-old.
Checks by the New Straits Times at several shopping complexes in the town area showed that people, from children to adults, were wearing the face masks.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa recently said the ministry still encourages people to wear face masks in public places or if they have symptoms of Covid-19.
She said so far no new guidelines have been issued despite the emergence of new subvariants.
"Based on current statistics where cases are actually decreasing, we encourage everyone to wear face masks, however, it is not mandatory.
"We don't need to panic with the existing cases even though they are related to the Omicron subvariant at level 1 and level 2. Therefore, we are still implementing the same standard operating procedures (SOP), encouraging the public and children in school to wear face masks, " she said.
Dr. Zaliha said the ministry would continue to monitor the development of new Covid-19 cases in Malaysia from time to time before making any decisions.
On Monday, the Health Ministry said six more cases of Covid-19 XBB1.16 or the Arcturus variant were reported in Malaysia, bringing its total number of reported cases to 12.
Of the new cases reported, four were detected in Selangor and two in Kuala Lumpur.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has elevated XBB.1.16 as a new variant of interest.
The new strain was first detected in January and has since been found in more than 30 countries.