No positive cases of COVID-19 were detected in the ART conducted in Government schools across the country during the opening of the school session on 3rd of January 2022. According the Minister of Health, the first phase of the opening involved Year 10 to Year 13 students with a total of 9,790 students undergoing the ART.
Of the total ART that have been conducted, a total of 2 ARTs gave ‘false positive’ results and 15 ARTs returned with ‘invalid’ results. However, follow-up RT-PCR tests that were conducted confirmed that those tests were negative for COVID-19. From 22nd of November 2021 to 4th of January 2022, the gene sequencing method was performed on 350 samples of positive cases detected in Brunei Darussalam whereby 341 of them were found to be the Delta variant while 9 samples were confirmed as the Omicron variant. This means there is one additional Omicron case reported in the country. So far, all Omicron variant cases detected in the country are cases imported from abroad while the Delta variant cases comprised local and foreign cases.
The movement restrictions carried out from 10 last night until 4 yesterday morning, 4 violations of the directive nationwide were issued with compound fines, of which all were violations of the directive to stay at home.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 Steering Committee has informed about the amendment in the rate of the charges for the SARS-CoV-2 tests in Brunei Darussalam commencing 1st of January 2022.
The rate of the charges for the SARS-CoV-2 tests is applicable to anyone who wishes to travel abroad or enter the country, whether a citizen or permanent resident of Brunei Darussalam or a foreigner. For the purpose of entering the country, a charge of $100 is levied for the RT-PCR and ART swab upon arrival. For the purpose of exiting the country, a charge of $80 is levied for the RT-PCR and ART swab.
Source: Radio Television Brunei