Brunei health minister wants all not to be complacent as Covid-19 cases rise to 14,444 in the country

Image from Borneo Bulletin/ANN

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Nov. 19 (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): The public must not be complacent or overly excited about the Transition Phase, urged Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar adding that they must instead continue to abide by the Covid-19 preventive measures as practised in the Preparation and Containment Phases.

The minister also urged the public to continue wearing face masks when entering premises or in crowded public spaces, practising social distancing at all times and maintaining personal hygiene by regularly washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser.

Meanwhile, on employers wishing to learn about their employees’ Covid-19 status, the minister advised them to provide antigen rapid test (ART) kits at their premises, instead of instructing the employees to undergo testing before returning to the workplace.

Dr Mohd Isham also said, “The Transition Phase allows only those who have completed two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to enter any premises. However, those whose BruHealth app does not show the vaccination status, can instead use the vaccination book as proof.

"This includes the vaccination book or certificate from abroad for those who received their vaccination overseas.”

The minister called on the public to continue supporting the next target of achieving 80 per cent of the population completing the Covid-19 vaccination schedule.

He also expressed his appreciation by congratulating all parties involved, including the public, who have supported the government’s efforts in increasing the Sultanate’s Covid-19 vaccination rate to protect the populace from Covid-19 effects.

“Let us all abide by the guidelines and directives issued by the government to ensure the Transition Phase will run smoothly. May we all continue to be protected and blessed by Allah the Almighty,” the minister added.

Meanwhile, Brunei reported 45 confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Friday, bringing the total tally to 14,444.

The Ministry of Health said all the newly recorded cases were local infections. While the sources of nine of the local infections were still under investigation, no new cluster has been detected and two clusters were newly closed 28 days after no new cases were found, leaving the total number of active clusters to be 159.