It is unlikely that there will be an increase in Covid infections during the CNY.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) does not anticipate an increase in new Covid-19 cases during the upcoming holiday season.
There was no increase in reported cases following the reopening of the country’s borders on April 1, 2022, when various festivals such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Aidiladha, and Christmas were celebrated, and the 15th General Election was held.
The country’s New Covid-19 cases were on a downward trend, with less than 500 new cases recorded daily in the last two weeks, compared to between 3,000 and 4,000 cases a few months ago.
Vaccinations were also found to be effective in protecting against Covid-19.
Dr. Noor Hisham stated that the MoH would continue to monitor international travellers as well as the development of new cases and variants in other countries.
According to the WHO, XBB.1.5 is a descendant of the Omicron XBB subvariant, which is a cross between two earlier strains, BA.2.75 and BA.2.10.1. The Omicron XBB.1.5 strain was dubbed “Kraken” by experts because it has the potential to cause a large wave of Covid-19.
The WHO dubbed the strain “the most infectious subvariant ever detected,” with the XBB.1.5 subvariant accounting for the vast majority of infections in the United States.
