MEDIA STATEMENT
ON THE CURRENT SITUATION OF COVID-19
IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
13 Rabiulawal 1443 / 20 October 2021
1. Today, Wednesday, 13 Rabiulawal 1443 / 20 October 2021, by the will of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala and with a heavy heart, the Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that one COVID-19 confirmed case has returned to the grace and mercy of Allah.
2. The case was a 53-year-old man who suffered from a lung infection after being infected with COVID-19 and was treated at the Intensive Care Unit.
3. In this opportunity, myself representing the Ministry of Health as well as the people of Brunei Darussalam, would like to express our deepest condolences to the case’s family. May the family of the deceased be given patience and strength in seeing his passing.
(Moment of silence)
4. A total of one hundred and sixty-six (166) new cases of COVID-19 infections have been confirmed bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 11,386.
- There are 55 additional new cases to 17 of the existing active clusters who were previously close contacts with several positive cases.
- Meanwhile, one new cluster has been detected that involved 9 cases. This new cluster is Anggerek Desa Staff House Cluster which is a housing cluster that accommodates the company’s employees.
- Two clusters have been closed following no new detected cases in the clusters for 28 days. The closed clusters are 4571 Cluster and 5289 Cluster. Therefore, the current total active clusters are 165 clusters.
- Meanwhile, 102 new cases are still being investigated to determine the source of the infection.
5. One hundred and ninety-eight (198) cases have recovered today bringing the total number of recovered cases in Brunei Darussalam to 8,619 cases, whereas the total number active cases are 2,688 cases.
6. Among the cases being treated at this time, five cases are in Category 5 and currently treated at the Intensive Care Unit. All of them require assistance of artificial ventilation with two cases require the help of additional heart/lung machine (ECMO). Meanwhile, twenty-one (21) cases are categorised in Category 4 that require oxygen assistance and are under close monitoring.
7. In the past 24 hours, a total of 3,000 samples have been tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus which brings the total number of laboratory tests conducted since January 2020 to 454,179 tests.
8. Meanwhile, outcome from the multi-agencies enforcement monitoring that was carried out last night during the out-of-house restriction from 8 PM until 4 AM this morning, a total of 16 violations of the directive nationwide were issued with compound fines, where 10 of them are violations of the out-of-house restriction.
9. Meanwhile recently, there has been an increase in positive cases among workers living in one place of accommodation and resulted in new clusters which involved a high number of cases. Therefore, the Government in its efforts to identify the staff house or dormitory that have a risk of COVID-19 transmission, 8 telephone lines as shown on the screen now have been provided to allow the public to provide information on the location of the staff houses or dormitories to the relevant authority. The information provided can be conveyed either via telephone call or WhatsApp together with picture and its location. This service is operated by the Department of Labour and the Department of Immigration and National Registration, where the information obtained by the public will assist the relevant authorities to conduct health and surrounding condition assessment, in addition to ensure the workers have received their COVID-19 vaccinations.
10. Let us work together in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. May all our efforts, and with tawakal to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’Ala, may Brunei Darussalam always be protected from the COVID-19 pandemic. Aamiin Aaminn Ya Rabbalalamin. Thank you.
– END –
Reference : KK/PR/2
Date : 13 Rabiulawal 1443H / 20 October 2021