Highly infectious India Covid-19 variant detected at KLIA on April 10

PUTRAJAYA, 2 May 2021:

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today confirmed in a statement detection of the B.1.617.1 (P1) Covid-19 variant – now ravaging throughout India – from a passenger arrival at KL International Airport on April 10 – over three weeks ago.

While this has been the only case detected and isolated so far, he noted Malaysia has taken extra steps to bar entry of foreigners from India as of April 28 while Malaysians returning from India now have to undergo an extended 14 -day quarantine instead of just 10 days.

He also said the South African B.1.351 Covid-19 variant has been detected in Perak and Kelantan clusters, with seven others in Selangor.

With 48 confirmed South African B.1.351 infections so far, only one case has yet to have the source of infection to be confirmed while other patients were traced to the clusters of:

  • Jalan Canning Estate (10)
  • Jalan Kebun Baru (9)
  • Jalan Lima (4)
  • Kampung Bunut Sarang Burung (10)
  • Teknologi Emas (3)
  • close contacts screening (11).

He further said eight cases of the UK B.1.1.7 variant had been detected in Sabah and Selangor, with five being imported cases, one at the Lorong Megah Jaya cluster and two from colose contacts screening.

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