Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said this is because of limited genomic sequencing which did not reflect the actual distribution of subvariants in the country.

He also said people had been testing themselves less frequently as they had become used to living with fewer restrictions.

“The surge in Covid-19 cases, caused by the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant known as BA.5, has fuelled a new wave of infections, reinfections and hospitalisations across the country,” he said in a statement today.

“Omicron BA.5 is the most easily spread version of the Covid-19 virus to date. On top of that, BA.5 is particularly good at evading the protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection.”

He said this meant that many were getting reinfected, often even a short time after contracting Covid-19.

If this matter was not taken seriously, he said, it could result in an increase in hospital admissions, as seen in countries like Singapore, Portugal and the UK.

“I strongly believe we cannot afford to go back to the days of lockdowns and strict restrictions. In order to do that, we must not let our guard down, and must continue to protect ourselves more,” he said.

Yii encouraged the public to continue masking, especially in crowded areas, and to receive their booster shots.

He also said the government must continue to strengthen the public health system to prepare for a possible surge and new wave of cases in the near future.

Previously, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said seven million people had yet to take their booster dose and advised them to do so immediately.

He said although the booster dose was not mandatory, it was still vital not only in view of the uptrend in the number of new cases but also to help fight new variants of the virus, especially the BA.5 subvariant.