BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Eleven students living in Brunei Hall have tested positive for COVID-19, the education ministry (MoE) disclosed on Monday.
Three students showing minor symptoms are being treated for the virus, MoE said in a statement, while the rest are reported to be in good health.
The ministry said the Brunei Hall building — which is located in west London and hosts over 100 students — will be closed immediately while authorities carry out contact tracing and impose other health controls.
All residential students have been swabbed for COVID-19 and ordered to isolate in their rooms. A total of 31 students have already completed a period of self-isolation.
The statement did not reveal when the first case of COVID-19 was detected at Brunei Hall.
England is still in the midst of a third lockdown after coronavirus cases surged late last year due to a new variant found in the UK.
The most recent lockdown began on January 5 and will last until at least February 22, when the UK government is expected to announce easing of some restrictions.
People have been ordered to stay at home and go out only with “reasonable excuse”. Household mixing is banned and non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues will remain closed until restrictions are lifted.
Schools will remain closed until March, while universities are conducting most classes online.
Brunei has put a hold on the return of scholarship students to the UK until the situation has improved.
The UK reported 9,765 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from a peak of 68,053 new cases on January 8.