Day: December 28, 2021

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Indonesia detects first local transmission of omicron variant

JAKARTA, Dec 28 — The Indonesian health ministry has detected the first case of locally transmitted COVID-19 Omicron variant in a 37-year-old man from the city of Medan.

The man and his wife, who visit Jakarta once a month, arrived the capital city on Dec 6 and had visited the Ashta District 8 Mall in Sudirman Central Business District, South Jakarta on Dec 17.

As a result, the ministry is conducting thorough contact tracing in the area to stop the variant from spreading, said the ministry spokesperson Dr Siti Nadia Tarmidzi.

Speaking at the virtual press conference, she said the man with no overseas travel history and asymptomatic is now in isolation at a hospital.

His antigen swab test was found positive on Dec 19, while his wife was negative, she said, adding that the sample was then sent to the GSI Lab, and the result was later found to be Omicron positive on Dec 26.

With this fresh development, Indonesia recorded 47 cases of Omicron, of which 46 cases were imported cases and one local transmission.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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COVID: Don’t let your guard down during holidays season – Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today reminded Malaysians not to let their guard down during this holidays season as COVID-19 and its variant are already circulating in the community.

Dr Noor Hisham also advised the public to stay at home if possible, avoid family gatherings if having symptoms and carry out RTK Ag self-test as well as get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“We have the tools now and the onus is on us to use the tools to slow down the infection,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook today.

He also pointed out the importance of striking the right balance between lives and livelihoods despite the surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the recent floods.

“Together we can make a big difference in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and facilitate our recovery plans,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Booster dose interval cut to three months for Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccine recipients

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 28 — The booster dose interval for recipients of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine has been shortened to a minimum of three months after the primer vaccine, from six months previously, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said this meant that a majority of adults aged 18 and above were expected to be eligible for their booster jabs in January and February.

“The Health Ministry (MOH) will increase the capacity for administering vaccines by opening vaccination centres (PPV) at private medical clinics or PPV which will be opened soon at conference halls, as was done under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK),” he told a media conference here today.

Khairy said appointments would be given to eligible individuals based on their age and health status, including those with comorbidities and chronic diseases.

He stressed that MOH would prioritise the use of Pfizer and AstraZeneca for the booster dose as these two brands of vaccine had a higher efficacy than Sinovac.

“MOH’s suggestion is first choice Pfizer and second choice AstraZeneca. Sinovac (given) only if you are contraindicated against Pfizer and AstraZeneca,” he said.

Khairy said Sarawak, the state which kicked off the booster jab programme on Oct 13, had experienced a declining trend the past two months in terms of daily COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions, cases which require intensive care and also deaths.

He said since the 48th epidemiological week (ME), the number of reported cases had been fewer than 1,000 weekly, from 776 cases in the 48th ME to 208 cases in the 52nd ME.

Deaths due to COVID-19 had also dropped, from 497 cases in October to 24 cases in December as of today, he said.

As of yesterday, booster dose coverage in Sarawak has reached 73.54 per cent.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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223 cases of infectious disease detected among Kelantan flood evacuees – Dr Zaini

KOTA BHARU, Dec 28 — Kelantan recorded 223 cases of infectious diseases among flood victims in five districts during the first wave of the floods.

State health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said all the cases were detected during health screenings carried out at over 50 relief centres in Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, Tanah Merah, Jeli and Pasir Mas between Dec 17 and 26.

“Skin infection topped the list of the communicable diseases recorded among flood victims with 95 cases, followed by upper respiratory tract infection (79) and food poisoning or acute gastroenteritis (11), asymptomatic fever (eight),” he told reporters when met at his office here today.

Dr Zaini also reminded the public to consume clean water and food to avoid being infected with leptospirosis, cholera, typhoid and food poisoning during the floods.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Price Control Scheme extended to Feb 4 – Nanta

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 28 — The Keluarga Malaysia Maximum Price Control Scheme (SHMKM) which was supposed to end on Dec 31 has now been extended to Feb 4, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said.

He said the number of daily essentials under the scheme would remain at 12 items from three categories – chicken, eggs and vegetables.

Among the items are live chicken, standard chicken, super chicken, Grade A, B and C eggs, long beans, red chili, tomato, choy sum, imported round cabbage (from Indonesia and China) as well as cucumber.

“From the feedback received and as an ongoing measure to stabilise prices of goods and ensure availability of supply, the government had decided to extend the SHMKM (scheme),” he said in a statement.

Prior to this, the government had announced the implementation of SHMKM, effective Dec 7-31, in an effort to stablise the prices of necessities and ensure adequate supply in the market.

Nanta said under the scheme, there were four types of goods involved in the price adjustments, namely chicken, chicken eggs, choy sum and long beans in selected locations.

“Price adjustments are made based on certain situations and factors to ensure price stability and supply,” he said.

Throughout SHMKM’s implementation, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement officers will monitor prices daily nationwide, he said.

“The checks, among others, involve locations such as public markets, farmers markets, and supermarkets as well as traders at the wholesale supply chain level,” he said.

He said the ministry, along with the Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI), were constantly working in tandem in conducting inspections to ensure adequate supply and price stability.

Nanta advised traders to continue to comply with the scheme’s maximum price set as action can be taken under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.

The list of goods and prices under the scheme can be accessed via the ministry’s official portal at https://www.kpdnhep.gov.my/ms/pengumuman/1117-hargamaksimum-shm-keluarga-malaysia-28-dis-2021.html.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency