People pose with syringe with needle in front of displayed words "OMICRON SARS-COV-2" in this illustration taken, December 11, 2021. - Reuters
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 6 (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): The discovery of new Omicron variants or sub-variants comes as no surprise. For as long as Covid-19 remains, variants will continue to exist, Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar said at the daily press conference in the capital.
The new Omicron sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5, found in South Africa appear to be more transmissible, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) monitoring the situation to determine if they are variants of concern.
The monitoring also determines whether the new sub-variants impact the national economy or re-opening of a country, Dr Mohd Isham said.
The minister said, “It is vital to remember that at the end of the day, it is still Covid-19, albeit a new variant or sub-variant of the Omicron. What we hope for is to be able to control the situation with the availability of vaccines and antiviral medication.”
To date, the sub-variants have not affected the Sultanate’s endemic phase, the minister said, before expressing hopes that the public will continue to follow closely the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place while travelling abroad.
There was an increase in daily Covid-19 cases yesterday with 146 new infections reported from 134 antigen rapid test (ART) screenings and 12 from 585 RT-PCR laboratory tests. With the new numbers, the total tally of confirmed cases rose to 142,312.
This was revealed by Dr Mohd Isham at the daily press conference.
Some 132 cases were declared recovered, bringing the number of recoveries to 141,540 while active cases stand at 587.
Of the active cases, 10 are being treated at hospitals and 577 are undergoing home self-isolation.
The minister added that 65.6 per cent of the Sultanate have received three doses of the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Sultanate has seen a slight increase in the number of Covid19 cases, which Dr Mohd Isham opined was “expected” in view of the ongoing Hari Raya celebration and open house visits.
The figure leads the Ministry of Health (MoH) to believe that the public actively performs antigen rapid tests (ART) on a large scale, he said, adding that “if the number of cases were lower and in the 20s, it would be of concern to the MoH, indicating that many are possibly not screening for infection.
“The increase in cases is somewhat worrisome, but the MoH is confident the public is still adhering to SOP, particularly performing the ART”, said the minister.
Hopeful that the Sultanate has taken rein of the situation, he said the Categories 4 and 5 figures are the most important to look out for.
“There will be cases, but if we follow the SOPs, and get vaccinated or boosted, Insya Allah the situation will remain under control,” he said. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
