MOH investigates Omicron case involving Indonesian man returning from Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: Further investigations into the detection of an Omicron variant case in Indonesia involving an individual who had just returned from Malaysia are underway, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the Ministry of Health (MOH) was also working closely with the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia, the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Immigration Department to trace close contacts of the case.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health in a statement on Dec 23 said it had confirmed three COVID-19 cases involving the Omicron variant in the country with one of the cases was a migrant worker working in Malaysia.

According to Khairy, the 20-year-old Indonesian man returned to the country on Dec 10 with a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival.

"The COVID-19 test on Dec 16 in Indonesia during the quarantine period came back positive for Omicron variant on Dec 21," he told a press conference here today.

Khairy said investigations in Malaysia found that the individual was a detainee at the Semenyih Detention Depot. He was arrested on Sept 22 along with his three other friends.

"All four of them were screened on Sept 23 and tested negative. Two of his friends were released on Sept 24 because they had complete documents.

"The man and another friend were convicted and sent home on Dec 10 after the trial," he explained.

Khairy said the friend was also tested negative during the second COVID-19 screening.

-- BERNAMA