PUTRAJAYA, Dec 29 — No new Covid-19 variants have been detected in the country and the situation remains under control with most reported cases involving mild symptoms and not requiring hospital treatment, said Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — There may be more than holiday cheer being spread this festive season as the highly contagious Covid-19 strain JN.1 marked its entrance into Malaysia yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The Ministry of Health is considering purchasing a variant-specific Covid-19 vaccine that is capable of fighting the Omicron variant.

JAKARTA, July 5 — The Indonesian government on Tuesday raised the status of public mobility restrictions to level 2 in the capital city of Jakarta following a significant increase in reported cases of Omicron variants.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — A kickoff ceremony was held at Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong (Gleneagles or GHK) for initiating a clinical trial to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the Sinovac’s Omicron-specific Covid-19 inactivated vaccine used as a booster shot in healthy adults, in anticipation of providing scientific evidence for future immunisation strategy.

BANGKOK, July 4 — The fast-spreading Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 may soon be dominant in Thailand.

NEW YORK, June 26 — Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said on Saturday (June 25) that a booster dose of updated versions of their Covid-19 vaccine, modified specifically to combat the Omicron coronavirus variant, generated a higher immune response against that variant.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — Malaysia has detected two BA.5 and one BA.2.12.1 cases, which are Omicron sub-variants.

IPOH, April 5 — Malaysia has so far not recorded any cases of the new Omicron XE variant, a new mutation, which is more contagious than any of the other Covid-19 variants, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — The Covid-19 vaccine booster has been seen as effective and capable of reducing transmission of the coronavirus in Malaysia which has been mostly triggered by the Omicron variant.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Malaysians need to brace the Covid-19 Omicron variant storm together by complying with all public health and social measures, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.

SINGAPORE, Feb 16 — Singapore will expand its quarantine-free travel programme to Hong Kong, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this month, its health ministry said on Wednesday, and will progressively add more destinations under the scheme.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — Malaysia is taking prudent steps before it decides to declare the country’s transition from the Covid-19 pandemic to the endemic phase, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — The public needs to work together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic with community empowerment amid the beginning of the Omicron variant wave in the country, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

LONDON, Jan 22 — A new form of Covid-19 Omicron named BA.2 has been designated a "variant under investigation," with 426 cases of the Omicron variant sub-lineage confirmed in the United Kingdom (UK).

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — New research data recently published by Sinovac Biotech Ltd shows that three doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine produced higher neutralising antibodies in 95 per cent of recipients compared with 3.3 per cent by the second dose against Variants of Concern (VOC), including Omicron.

BANGKOK, Jan 20 — Thailand will resume its 'Test & Go' quarantine waiver for vaccinated arrivals from February 1, its coronavirus task force said on Thursday, in response to slowing Covid-19 infections.

(REUTERS), Jan 13 — AstraZeneca said on Thursday that preliminary data from a trial showed that its Covid-19 shot, Vaxzevria, generated an increase in antibodies against the Omicron and other variants when given as a third booster dose.

TOKYO, Jan 13 — The Japanese government is mulling the idea of making shorter the 14-day period of self-isolation currently in place for those who have come into close contact with a person infected with the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

SYDNEY, Jan 13 — Following a government mandate to log positive Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) recorded a vast record of 92,264 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, Xinhua reported.