With the introduction of National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP), we thought we had the upper hand.

But a new challenger has emerged to throw a spannar in the works.

First case detected outside of Selangor

The Ministry of Health has detected more cases of the South African COVID-19 variant B.1.351 in Malaysia, New Straits Times reported.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told the news portal that the four cases were local transmissions, and were detected through a genomic surveillance that took place from 15 April to 23 April.

The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) has confirmed the cases.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, three of the cases were detected in the Kuala Langat district in Selangor, while the other was recorded at the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban, the first case detected outside of Selangor.

The three cases from the Kuala Langat district comprised of two cases from the Teknologi Emas Cluster, and the third case was a close contact.

"These latest infections bring the total to 21 cases involving the South African variant B.1.351," he said in a statement quoted by the news portal.

Dr Noor Hisham added that the authorities have taken samples from a total of 29 cases recorded in Selangor, Putrajaya, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, and a full genome sequencing have been conducted.

"The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) genome data obtained from these cases revealed the common lineage cycles found in Malaysia, namely the B.1.524 in the Peninsular and B.1.466.2 in Sarawak and these are categorised as not Variants of Concern (VOC)," he was quoted as saying.

Out of those 29 cases, 23 of them were under the "Selangor B.1.524 Lineage", which were traced in Selangor (12), Putrajaya (three), Sabah (four), and Johor (six); while another four cases were under the "Sarawak B.1.466.2 Lineage".