SEVENTEEN Covid-19 cases of the South African B.1.351 variant have been detected in the country so far, Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

In a statement today, he said the phylogenetic analysis, as well as geographical linkages, showed the probability that the locally transmitted cases have originated from the same source of infection.

He said the variant was found in three cases of the Jalan Lima Cluster in Hulu Langat and Sepang districts, Selangor; Kebun Baru Cluster, Kuala Langat (nine cases); Teknologi Emas Cluster, Kuala Langat (one case) and close contact screening (one case).

Dr Noor Hisham explained that the variant was initially detected in two cases of the Jalan Lima Cluster involving workers of a company based at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and one case each from the Kebun Baru Cluster and a close contact screening on March 18.

The South African B.1.351 variant was first detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa in December 2020.

Since early this year, the presence of the variant was also reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia and South Korea. – Bernama, April 14, 2021.