The State Health Department is closely monitoring the new Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of concern in Sabah, said its Director Dr Rose Nani Mudin.
“So far no new variants have been detected and it is hoped that we can sustain this.
“We are monitoring it closely especially at Sabah’s entry points. We also monitor for the variant with random blood samplings of those tested positive,” she said, when closing the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) Mega Vaccine Dispensing Centre (PPV), Tuesday.
The Omicron variant was reported as having numerous mutations to the spike protein, suggesting that it is likely to spread further.
On the health department’s preparedness in facing a worst case scenario, Dr Rose said Sabah’s healthcare system would be able to cope.
“When there is a new variant, we will expect a surge of cases. We will also monitor the number of deaths and the severity. At this moment we have more than 250 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds available throughout Sabah,” she said.
She urged the public to continue being vigilant in complying with the standard operating procedures (SOP) as it is the main defence against any Covid-19 transmissions.
“No matter the type of variant, the prevention is the same. If we follow all the SOPs strictly – face masks, avoid touching each other and going to crowded places, we can still control the situation,” she stressed.
On Sabah’s vaccination rate, Dr Rose said some 75 per cent of adults have been fully vaccinated thus far while 77 per cent have completed their first dose.
She said the figure also included 595,483 foreigners of various nationalities, including the documented and undocumented.
With Sabah’s increased vaccination rate, Dr Rose said deaths and the ICU occupancy rate in hospitals showed a downward trend.
“Previously, for example, there were 17 deaths a day but yesterday there were only two deaths. The ICU occupancy rate was also around 69 per cent to 70 per cent and now it’s around 49 per cent, which is less than 50 per cent.
“So the vaccine actually helps to reduce transmission, deaths and the severity of the disease,” she said.
On the closing of the SICC PPV, Dr Rose said some 300,000 vaccine doses were administered since the PPV was established on July 28, which comprised the first, second and booster doses.
She added that 89,000 booster shots were administered during the PPV’s 126-day operation, which were rolled out on Oct. 20.
The SICC PPV was being closed due to low turnout of recipients and the health department is changing its vaccination strategy with focus on outreach programmes.
“We will continue our effort via private clinics, such as Permai Polyclinic and Mutiara Clinic, among others,” she said, while encouraging the public to get their booster shots once they are eligible.
“We encourage people especially those above 40 and with comorbidities to get the booster shot as a Malaysian Health Ministry (MOH) study showed that the vaccine’s efficacy reduces significantly in this group,” she said.
Also present were SICC Chief Executive Officer Datuk Rosmawati Lasuki and Kota Kinabalu PPV Chief Coordinator cum Health Officer Dr Suhaila Osman