Delta variant detected in Sarawak

KUCHING: The first COVID-19 positive case involving the Delta variant in Sarawak has been detected, according to the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

According to IHCM in a statement today, the variant was detected following its genome sequencing analysis recently.

"A 56-year-old man has been detected with the variant on June 18 and his case is classified as Import B case," it said.

IHCM said besides the Delta variant, positive cases involving the Beta and the Theta variants had also been detected in Sarawak before this.

A cumulative total of 59 cases involving Variant of Concern (VOC) and the Variant of Interest (VOI) had been detected in positive cases up to June 26.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, IHCM has been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic in the state.

It was tasked with testing samples and genome sequencing analyses to detect changes in the virus.

-- BERNAMA