Coronavirus: Indonesia reports first Omicron case; Malaysia bans mass gatherings, issues booster requirement

All adults who got the Sinovac vaccine should get a booster to remain ‘fully vaccinated’, Malaysian authorities said

Elsewhere, South Korea has reinstated social distancing rules for the holiday period while Australian states relax rules

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Train passengers social distancing in Jakarta, Indonesia, as country detected first case of Omicron variant. Photo: AP

Published: 9:36am, 16 Dec 2021Updated: 6:55pm, 16 Dec 2021

Indonesia is working hard to stem the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant after detecting its first case, its President Joko Widodo said Thursday. In a public address the president urged people to diligently enforce health protocols, and local governments to accelerate testing and contact tracing.

The variant was detected on Wednesday evening in an employee at the Wisma Atlet hospital in Jakarta, who had no history of overseas travel.

The country’s health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikinsaid so far there was no community transmission, but there were five more suspected Omicron cases, including two Indonesians who had recently returned from the United States and three Chinese nationals currently in quarantine in Manado, North Sulawesi. The government is waiting for genomic sequencing to determine those cases.

The Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa and Hong Kong last month, has now been reported by more than 70 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), including in neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Preliminary evidence indicates that Covid-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the WHO said.

Malaysians are vaccinated with doses of the Sinovac vaccine in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia imposes stricter rules, booster requirements

Malaysia on Thursday announced new Covid-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.