James Kon
Brunei Darussalam recorded one new imported COVID-19 case yesterday, bringing the current number of active cases in the country to 21.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar said this during a press conference yesterday.
“Case 173 is a man aged 38 who arrived in Brunei on the SQ148 flight on December 25, 2020, via Singapore from Indonesia. He showed no signs of infection and is currently being monitored and treated at the National Isolation Centre (NIC). Contact tracing for this case is still being conducted,” the minister said.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Haji Abdul Manap bin Othman was also present.
With the latest imported case, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country is 173.
All of the active cases are currently receiving treatment at the NIC in the Tutong District.
One case is in the Intensive Care Unit while the rest are in stable condition.
With the detection of the new case, 32 import cases have been confirmed. Since the last local case reported on May 6, 2020, Brunei has recorded 246 days without local COVID-19 transmissions.
A total of 700 individuals are undergoing mandatory self-isolation at government monitoring centres after arriving in the country from abroad. At present, 10,765 individuals have completed their mandatory self-isolation at the monitoring centres.
In the past 24 hours, 382 SARS-CoV-2 virus samples were tested, bringing the total number of laboratory tests conducted since January 2020 to 84,830.
The minister also reminded members of the public to practise social responsibilities by maintaining personal hygiene and observing proper cough and sneeze etiquette.
The public are recommended to wear face masks in crowded public places, and to avoid public places, gatherings or events if feeling unwell.
The minister also warned that as per the provisions under the Infectious Diseases Act (Chapter 204), the public is required to comply with all regulations and instructions issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Updates can be obtained by visiting www.moh.gov.bn, or by contacting the Health Advice Line at 148, or through the BruHealth app.