The new and highly transmissible subvariants of the Covid-19 virus detected in several countries are causing much concern in Malaysia with the expected influx of tourists from China, which opened its borders on Jan 8.

Mainland China is now facing a surge in infections caused by the BA.5.2 and BF.7 variants and according to media reports, nearly 90 percent of the people in Henan province – the country’s third most densely populated region – are currently down with Covid-19...