IHCM director Professor Dr David Perera said all of these VOC were of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. – Bernama photo
KUCHING (Oct 30): A total of 780 additional Variants of Concern (VOC) had been detected from 782 Covid-19 positive cases sequenced in Sarawak as of October 8, revealed Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) today.
In his latest report to Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, IHCM director Professor Dr David Perera said all of these VOC were of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant.
He said that further analysis of the Delta variant “indicates that the dominant circulating Delta lineage in Sarawak is the AY.23 sub-lineage”.
“Other Delta sub-lineages sporadically detected include the AY.24 (one case each in Kuching, Miri and Sibu), AY.33 (one case in Bintulu), AY.34 (one case in Samarahan and two cases in Bintulu) and the AY.37( two cases in Kuching).
“The AY.23 sub- lineage is also the current dominant circulating Delta lineage driving the current outbreak in Singapore,” he said.
The ICHM has been helping SDMC in tracking the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the state.
According to Dr Perera, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently revised the SARS-CoV-2 variant classification list to reflect the current risk profile of these variants.
“All previously listed ‘Variants of Interest’ (VOI) and some VOC have now been re-classified as ‘Variants Being Monitored’ (VBM).
“Currently, the Delta variant is the only member in the VOC list,” he said.
Dr Perera said to-date a cumulative total of 1,782 Delta variant cases had been detected in the state from over 3,000 positive Covid-19 cases sequenced.
Kuching Division had the most at 712 cases, followed by Bintulu with 373 cases, Samarahan Division (182), Sibu (167), Serian (127) and Miri (88).
Kapit Division had 37 cases, Mukah 22, Sarikei and Sri Aman Divisions with 20 cases each and Betong 19.
Limbang Division only registered a single case.
Out of the total, there were five cases under Import A (persons from overseas) category and nine under Import B (persons from other states in the country) category.