KUALA LUMPUR: A second Covid-19 Omicron variant case has been detected in Malaysia.
The case involves an eight-year-old Malaysian girl, who has been residing in Lagos, Nigeria with her family.
The girl arrived in Malaysia through a transit flight from Doha, Qatar with her mother and sister on Dec 5.
She, subsequently, tested positive for Covid-19 in a Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test that was conducted upon her arrival in KLIA.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) identified the case while conducting PCR genotyping assay tests on samples of 52 Covid-19 positive cases among travellers between Dec 6 and Dec 10.
"The girl, who was asymptomatic, has been ordered to undergo isolation and quarantine at home for 14 days.
"Four close contacts to the case have been detected, including the girl's mother, father, sister and a cab driver who transported the girl and her family from the airport to her house.
"The girl's mother and sister have so far been tested negative for all Covid-19 tests conducted on them. The cab driver will also be undergoing a RT-PCR test.
"All three of them, he said, have been ordered to undergo quarantine for 14 days." he said, during a press conference at Parliament, here, today.
Meanwhile, the girl's father is currently placed under quarantine at a private quarantine centre after he arrived in Malaysia on Dec 12. He tested negative in a RT-PCR test upon arrival.
Khairy said, a total 35 people came in contact with the girl while in flight. All of them have tested negative for Covid-19 in RT-PCR tests conducted upon arrival and on the fifth day after arrival.
"The ministry, together with the state health department and district health office will continue further investigations, including on contacts in the flight.
"At the moment, the cause of infection is still under investigation," he said.
The ministry, he said, has also identified 18 probable Omicron variant cases that have been sent for whole-genome sequencing. The results are expected to be obtained on Dec 17.