To detect the new variant, labs must carry out whole genome sequencing, but not all labs in the country could do so, Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said. Even those that already did so might still need to "routinely intensify whole genome sequencing SARS-CoV-2" among cases in the country, he said.

Studies are still underway on the new variant, referred to as the B.1.1.7 lineage, but it is believed to be 40 to 70 percent more transmissible, Reuters reported. There has yet to be evidence concerning the new variant's impact on disease severity and morbidity.

It remained a concern nonetheless given the need to protect risk groups, including the elderly and people with comorbidity factors, from exposure to the virus, Bambang said.

The elderly and people with underlying health conditions make up the largest share of Indonesia’s COVID-19 fatalities and were more likely to develop severe illnesses from the infection.

The UK was one of the countries with the best genomic and molecular surveillance and monitoring in the world, which allowed them to detect virus mutation, he went on.

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