PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has recorded its first case of the “double mutant” Covid-19 strain originating from India, says the Health Ministry. In a tweet on Sunday (May 2), it said the B.1.617 strain was detected in the country. “We have detected the first case of the Indian variant, the double mutant strain, through the entry of an Indian national when we were carrying out tests at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, ” he said. Last Tuesday (April 27), Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Malaysia will temporarily suspend all flights to and from India to stop the “double mutant” variant from entering the country. The B.1.617 variant was first detected in India last December, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) describing it as a “variant of interest” which suggests that it potentially has increased transmissibility.

Source: The Star May 02, 2021 06:53 UTC