KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's plan to move into the endemic phase from the current Covid-19 pandemic status will be put on "pause", Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.
According to him, the decision was made during today's Quartet Ministerial Meeting, saying the government wanted to learn more about the new Covid-19's Omicron variant.
"It is important for me to inform that for the time being, the Quartet Meeting has decided to pause our efforts to move into the transition to endemic phase until we learn more about the Omicron variant of concern (VOC).
"We are not postponing it. We are only pausing it for a while so that we can learn more about the spread of the new variant.
"We don't want our efforts to go down the drain if we don't monitor the spread of Omicron variant," he told reporters in Parliament today.
Hishammuddin said currently, the Health Ministry is acquiring more detailed information on the incubation period, symptoms, and the infectiousness of the Omicron variant.
Following this, he said the government would impose stricter international border controls on countries that have reported cases related to the spread of the Omicron variant.
At the same time, he said the standard operating procedure (SOP) for states that are currently under Phase Three and Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) would be maintained.
"The Health Ministry will make the necessary announcement on this soon.
"The government takes note that this variant has not only spread in South Africa but also several countries including Italy, Denmark, Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Hong Kong.
"We also understand that the Omicron variant is indeed risky as it can spread more easily and quickly although it can still be detected through existing laboratory tests," he said.