Covid-19 under control: Stable mortality rate, no new variants detected, says Health Minister

Covid-19 (file photo).

KUCHING, Dec 29: The Covid-19 situation in Malaysia remains under control, with a stable mortality rate and no detection of new Covid-19 variants.

Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad reported that the majority of Covid-19 cases in the country exhibit mild symptoms, often not requiring hospitalisation.

“For Epid Week 51 from Dec 17 to 23, the admission rate of Covid-19 patients to hospitals is 0.5 per cent, and the mortality rate is 0.08 per cent. These figures indicate that both parameters remain at a low level,” he said in a statement today.

Dr Dzulkefly emphasised that Malaysia has not identified any new variants so far, and the prevailing variant continues to be the Omicron, along with its sub-variants XBB.1.16, XBB.1.5, EG.5, and JN.1.

“The circulating sub-variants of the Omicron variant are known not to cause more severe cases,” he added.

Acknowledging that living with the virus has become a daily reality, similar to influenza, he advised the public to strike a balance between life and livelihood during this period of increasing contagious infections.

The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and related variants regularly.

Dr Dzulkefly urged high-risk groups, including senior citizens and individuals with critical illnesses or low immunity, to use face masks, particularly in crowded areas and when using public transportation.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene, including wearing face masks as needed, conducting TRISS (Test, Report, Isolate, Inform and Seek), updating status on MySejahtera, and protecting vulnerable groups. — DayakDaily