Malaysia reports 3,418 new COVID-19 cases, new strain detected

People wearing face masks walk on a street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 2, 2021. Malaysia reported 3,418 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, bringing the national total to 415,012. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

Malaysia reported 3,418 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, bringing the national total to 415,012.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that 10 of the new cases were imported and 3,408 were local transmissions.

The official added that the variant B.1.617 which first appeared in India has been detected in the country, traced to an Indian national who entered the country on April 10.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 variant could bring about "increased transmissibility" or even "reduced neutralization" due to the specific mutations that it contains.

In addition to the new variant, the official said 27 local transmissions of the variant first detected in South Africa and three local transmissions of the variant that first emerged in Britain had also been detected.

Another 12 deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 1,533.

Some 2,698 patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total number of cured and discharged to 383,140 or 92.3 percent of all cases.

Of the remaining 30,339 active cases, 345 are being held in intensive care unit and 175 of those are in need of assisted breathing.