KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Sin Chew Daily) – Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the second COVID-19 case involving the new Omicron variant had been detected in the country.

He said the case tested positive on December 7, and was confirmed to be of the Omicron variant a week later on December 14.

The case, an eight-year-old Malaysian girl living with family in Nigeria, tested positive at the airport upon arrival in Malaysia.

Close contacts, including the girl’s parents and the driver picking them up at the airport, are being quarantined.

Her parents test negative for the virus while the driver’s test result is yet to be released.

Khairy said another 18 suspected Omicron cases are also being probed.

Nigeria has since been listed as the ninth high-risk country by Malaysia.