The Ministry of Health Malaysia has issued a media statement regarding the press conference held on the Current Developments of the New Omicron Variant (B.1.1.529), Status of Postponement for Travel to Perform Umrah as well as the Strengthening the Booster Dosage Program and AEFI reports – media statement as follows:

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS OF OMICRON NEW VARIANTS (B.1.1.529)

The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) would like to inform that a total of 44 positive cases of COVID- 19 were confirmed with the Omicron variant through full genome sequencing (WGS) conducted by the Institute Medical Research (IMR) and seven (7) COVID-19 positive cases of local infections in Sarawak have been confirmed with the Omicron variant by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

Of the 44 cases of imported infections:

•             29 cases from Saudi Arabia;

•             5 cases from the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

•             5 cases from Kazakhstan

•             3 cases from the United Kingdom

•             1 case from the United States

•             1 case from Tanzania

Full genome sequence testing (WGS) on the samples indicates the possibility that the Omicron variant is still running and MOH will provide the latest developments concerning validating the Omicron variant from time to time.

To read the full translated media statement, please contact [email protected]

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