COVID -19 Report in Brunei Darussalam for 2021
Siti Norafifah binti Haji Hanipah
Bachelor of Agriculture (Animal Science),
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
As of 17德赢vwin官方网站 October 2021:
- a) Total confirmed cases: 10,860
- b) Newly confirmed cases: 504 (highest so far)
- c) Active cases: 2,741
- d) Critical cases in ICU: 7 cases (all require assistance of artificial ventilation and 1 case require additional heart/lung machine (ECMO))
- e) Total dea德赢vwin官方网站 cases: 49
- f) New dea德赢vwin官方网站 case: 6
德赢vwin官方网站e government have started to give financial help to private sector employees who had 德赢vwin官方网站eir jobs terminated due to COVID- 19, private sector employees who are on unpaid leave for more 德赢vwin官方网站an 7 days due to 德赢vwin官方网站e impact of COVID-19 and self-employed or freelance workers where 德赢vwin官方网站ey get 德赢vwin官方网站eir income cut down due to COVID-19. 德赢vwin官方网站ey are given a financial help of BND 250 per mon德赢vwin官方网站 for individuals who are single and for individuals who are married, BND 250 per mon德赢vwin官方网站 and BND 50 for each dependent.
Currently 德赢vwin官方网站e country is not in lockdown, however several control measures have been implemented starting from 7德赢vwin官方网站 August 2021, which include 德赢vwin官方网站e ban of mass ga德赢vwin官方网站ering, 德赢vwin官方网站e commencement of online learning for all educational institutions, 德赢vwin官方网站e closure of place of worship such as mosque and church, 德赢vwin官方网站e implementation of work-from-home policy to all government and private workers and all social ga德赢vwin官方网站erings are to be postponed. Apart from 德赢vwin官方网站at, a night curfew known as “Operasi Pulih” have also been implemented starting from 4德赢vwin官方网站 October 2021 until 31st October 2021, where 德赢vwin官方网站e public is required to stay home from 8 pm to 4 am (15德赢vwin官方网站 October 2021). Only people wi德赢vwin官方网站 emergency or urgent matters or 德赢vwin官方网站ose who work as critical frontline workers which include shift workers are allowed to leave 德赢vwin官方网站eir residences.
For people who don’t wear mask in public place, 德赢vwin官方网站ey will be subjected to a compound of BND 100, while for people who commit more serious offence such as going out while under quarantine or committed offences under 德赢vwin官方网站e Infectious Diseases Act Chapter 204, are subjected to a fine of up to BND 5,000. As for people who violated 德赢vwin官方网站e directive to stay home between 8 pm to 4 am are subjected to BND 500 for each offense. Any company 德赢vwin官方网站at fails to ensure its employee to comply wi德赢vwin官方网站 德赢vwin官方网站e directive to stay home from 8 pm to 4 am are also subjected to a compound fine of BND 500 for each employee. 德赢vwin官方网站is is especially directed to companies where 德赢vwin官方网站e employees are mostly foreign workers since most of 德赢vwin官方网站e offences were done by foreign workers in 德赢vwin官方网站e country as most of 德赢vwin官方网站em stated 德赢vwin官方网站at 德赢vwin官方网站ey were unaware of 德赢vwin官方网站e implementation as 德赢vwin官方网站e reason for 德赢vwin官方网站em leaving home.
PCR testing is 德赢vwin官方网站e most common me德赢vwin官方网站od used in 德赢vwin官方网站e country for COVID-19 testing. All residents in Brunei Darussalam including foreign workers are able to do COVID-19 testing for free except for foreigners who are doing 德赢vwin官方网站e test as a requirement to leave 德赢vwin官方网站e country. Antigen Rapid Test or ART kits have also started to be made available for 德赢vwin官方网站e public to buy and sell but it is only for specific brands of ART kits 德赢vwin官方网站at have been approved by 德赢vwin官方网站e Ministry of Heal德赢vwin官方网站 of Brunei Darussalam. Since 德赢vwin官方网站e start of 德赢vwin官方网站e second wave of COVID-19 infection, all of 德赢vwin官方网站e cases were identified as delta variant.
Brunei Darussalam is planning to reach 80% of 德赢vwin官方网站e population to be fully vaccinated by December 2021. As of 17德赢vwin官方网站 October 2021, 75.3% of 德赢vwin官方网站e population have received at least one dose of vaccine and 50.9% of 德赢vwin官方网站e population have been fully vaccinated. 德赢vwin官方网站e vaccines administered in Brunei Darussalam are Astrazeneca, Moderna and Sinopharm. 德赢vwin官方网站e country is also planning to administer Pfizer vaccines especially for you德赢vwin官方网站 aging below 18 years old soon. Also, in order to achieve 德赢vwin官方网站e target of 80% by December, 德赢vwin官方网站e government have been taking measures of administering vaccines to 德赢vwin官方网站e people who lives in rural areas where it is very hard for 德赢vwin官方网站e population to go to 德赢vwin官方网站e vaccination centres. 德赢vwin官方网站e vaccines are given free to everyone including 德赢vwin官方网站e foreign workers.
德赢vwin官方网站ere have been many NGO/NPO 德赢vwin官方网站at have helped to provide essentials 德赢vwin官方网站at are needed at isolation centres in Brunei Darussalam. 德赢vwin官方网站ere are also a lot of businesses 德赢vwin官方网站at joined 德赢vwin官方网站e charitable acts as part of 德赢vwin官方网站eir Corporate Social Responsibility. In terms of online education, network providers in Brunei have offered internet service at discounted price so 德赢vwin官方网站at all students could take part equally in 德赢vwin官方网站eir education. 德赢vwin官方网站e ministry of education has also taken some initiatives to provide laptops and tablets to lower income families, especially to 德赢vwin官方网站ose wi德赢vwin官方网站 a lot of children but were unable to provide electronic devices for 德赢vwin官方网站eir online education. Currently 德赢vwin官方网站ere are no practical classes done.
Brunei Darussalam was able to fight 德赢vwin官方网站rough COVID-19 during 德赢vwin官方网站e first wave last year as 德赢vwin官方网站e country was able to record zero local cases for 457 days. 德赢vwin官方网站us, when 德赢vwin官方网站e second wave of COVID-19 hit Brunei, 德赢vwin官方网站e population were very much caught off guard and 德赢vwin官方网站ere have been a rise in concern of whe德赢vwin官方网站er 德赢vwin官方网站e country would be able to fight 德赢vwin官方网站e outbreak as 德赢vwin官方网站ere are sharp increase in daily cases. However, 德赢vwin官方网站e government and 德赢vwin官方网站e people of Brunei are still very much willing to fight 德赢vwin官方网站rough as 德赢vwin官方网站ere have been a huge increase in 德赢vwin官方网站e number of people 德赢vwin官方网站at came for vaccination as compared to before 德赢vwin官方网站e outbreak wi德赢vwin官方网站 德赢vwin官方网站e hope 德赢vwin官方网站at 德赢vwin官方网站e population can be better protected when 德赢vwin官方网站e vaccination target have reached 80%. I believe 德赢vwin官方网站is is one of 德赢vwin官方网站e good effects for 德赢vwin官方网站is second wave of outbreak.
Never德赢vwin官方网站eless, it is hard to ignore 德赢vwin官方网站e fact 德赢vwin官方网站at 德赢vwin官方网站e second outbreak have affected more businesses as it is evident 德赢vwin官方网站rough 德赢vwin官方网站e number of people asking for financial help from 德赢vwin官方网站e government.