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