KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa today advised Malaysians to mask up when they are in crowded public places to avoid contracting a new Covid-19 variant this Aidilfitri festive season.

She said the number of Covid-19 cases are currently under control and that fatalities were also low, but vigilance is still needed.

"The public has no need to panic. Just make sure to mask up at crowded places and take Covid-19 tests, especially during this Raya season,” she said in a news conference at the Zecon Hotel in Cheras.

She said the subvariants that have been detected in Malaysia so far were all from the Omicron strain, specifically XBB1.5, 1.16 and 1.9.