BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The Ministry of Health reported one imported COVID-19 case on Monday, a 37-year-old woman who travelled to Brunei from India on November 11.
The woman transited in Kuala Lumpur and arrived in Brunei aboard flight BI874.
MoH said she currently shows no symptoms and is being treated at the National Isolation Centre.
Four people she came into contact with have been tested for the virus — three turned up negative tests while one person is still awaiting results.
The latest coronavirus case brings the country’s overall total to 149, however the vast majority of cases — 97.3% — have already recovered.
Health minister YB Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Md Isham Hj Jaafar said the latest patient is only Brunei’s eighth imported case since May 6, when the last local infection was recorded.
The sultanate has recorded 201 days without a case of local transmission.
The minister added that MoH has administered 75,632 COVID-19 tests since January, equivalent to 16.4 percent of the population.
Businesses fined for ignoring COVID-19 guidelines
Since coronavirus restrictions began deescalation back in June, a total of 2,020 business and premises have been inspected by health officials to ensure they maintain safety measures.
YB Dato Dr Hj Md Isham said 649 violations have been issued so far, mostly at eateries where food handlers fail to wear face masks or conduct temperature checks on customers.
Those who disregard coronavirus-control measures can be issued an on-the-spot fine of up to $5,000, or may be brought to court where they would face up to six months in jail and/or a maximum fine of $10,000.
BruHealth to be rolled out to more health centres
Residents can now use the BruHealth mobile app to book medical appointments at the Seria and Sungai Liang health centres.
The app, which was introduced back in May as a contract tracing mechanism, has now expanded its functionality to include online bookings and payments, access to medical records, and video consultations with doctors.
The expanded features were were first trialled at the Jubli Perak Sengkurong Health Centre back in September, and now will be extended to Seria and Sungai Liang.
Responding to a reporters question, the health minister said the new features will be rolled out to other healthcare facilities in stages.
He added that while they encourage booking appointments online, health centres will still reserve slots for walk-ins, particularly for those who cannot access BruHealth.