COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei
| COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei | |
|---|---|
.svg.png.webp) Map of districts in Brunei with confirmed COVID-19 cases:
10–99 confirmed
100–499 confirmed
500–999 confirmed | |
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Brunei |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Index case | Tutong[note 1] |
| Arrival date | 9 March 2020 (1 year, 11 months and 10 days) |
| Confirmed cases | 4957[2] |
| Active cases | 1590 (As of 18 September 2021) |
| Recovered | 3335[2] |
Deaths | 21[2] |
| Fatality rate | 0.42% |
| Government website | |
| www | |
The COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus spread to Brunei on 9 March 2020, when its first case was confirmed in Tutong.[note 1][1] Many early cases were linked to Jamek Mosque Sri Petaling in Kuala Lumpur, which held a large Tablighi Jamaat ijtema event[3] at the end of February 2020. Of Brunei's first 50 cases, 45 were related to Jamek Mosque.[4] The pandemic had spread to all districts of Brunei.[2]
Background
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[5][6] The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[7][8] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[9][7]
Timeline
March 2020
On 9 March 2020, the Ministry of Health confirmed that preliminary coronavirus tests had returned positive for a 53-year-old male who had returned from a tabligh in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 3 March.[1][12] The patient began to experience symptoms on 7 March, and was eventually moved to the National Isolation Centre in Tutong for treatment. The ministry is following up with the three friends he had travelled with, and with the patient's family members.[1]
On 10 March, the Health Ministry reported five more cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to six. These five individuals were close contacts of the first case and were isolated for treatment at the National Isolation Centre in Tutong.[13][14][12]
On 11 March, the Health Ministry reported five new cases, bringing the total number to 11. Three of these individuals had attended the tabligh in Kuala Lumpur on 3 March.[15]
On 12 March, the Health Ministry confirmed 14 new cases, bringing the total number to 25. Ten of these cases were linked to the same Islamic missionary gathering in Kuala Lumpur that the first confirmed patient had attended. Three of the cases were close contacts of the confirmed patients while the last case was a 64-year-old man who had been to Kuala Lumpur and Cambodia.[16]
On 14 March, the Health Ministry reported that Brunei had a total of 40 cases of the coronavirus.[17]
On 15 March, Brunei confirmed 10 new cases, bringing the total number to 50.[18][19]
On 22 March, Brunei confirmed 88 cases.[20]
On 23 March, Brunei confirmed 3 new cases, bringing the total number to 91.[21]
On 24 March, the Health Ministry confirmed 13 new cases, the highest since the first case on 9 March, bringing the total number to 104.[20]
On 25 March, Brunei confirmed 109 cases.[22]
On 26 March, Brunei confirmed 114 cases, with 5 recoveries to-date.[23]
On 27 March, Brunei confirmed 115 cases, with 11 recoveries to-date. In the evening, the first case of death occurs.[24]
April 2020
May 2020
On 5 May, one new COVID-19 case has been confirmed, bringing the total active case to 139. On the next day, 2 related cases were detected involving the case detected on the previous day.[25][26]
June 2020
On 2 June, most schools partially reopened and the majority of classes resumed as normal.[27][28]
July 2020
August 2020
On 7 August, Brunei reported one imported case after 91 days of zero positive cases. The carrier was a local man travelling from Yemen.[29][30][31][32]
September 2020
October 2020
November 2020
On 23 November, the Ministry of Health announced that another case had been detected in the country. Case 149 was a woman, aged 37, who arrived in the country on the flight from Kuala Lumpur, BI874, where she transited from India, on 11 November. She was asymptomatic and contact tracing had identified 3 close contacts which tested negative for COVID-19, another close contact was still awaiting their results at the time of the press release.[33]
On 24 November, the Ministry of Health announced that another case had been detected in the country. Case 150 was a man, aged 37, who arrived in the country on the flight from Kuala Lumpur, BI874, where he transited from Egypt, on 13 November. He was asymptomatic and contact tracing had identified 5 close contacts which have all tested negative for COVID-19.[34]
December 2020
On 1 December, the Ministry of Health announced that another case had been detected in the country. Case 151 was a woman, aged 26, who arrived in the country on the flight from Kuala Lumpur, BI874, where she transited from Nepal, on 20 November. She was asymptomatic and contact tracing had identified 2 close contacts which both tested negative for COVID-19.[35]
On 8 December, the Ministry of Health announced that another case had been detected in the country. Case 152 was a man, aged 39, who arrived in the country on the flight from Kuala Lumpur, BI874, on 27 November. The victim was asymptomatic and contact tracing identified that there were 6 close contacts which had all tested negative for COVID-19.[36]
January 2021
On 3 January 2021 the Ministry of Health announced that there were 15 new cases that had been detected in the country. All of the infected were males, 19-21 who arrived on a flight from London, BI004, on the 21 December 2020.[37] All of the infected were members of a group of 81 people. Case 165 started developing symptoms on the 31 December 2020, all other cases were asymptomatic.[38]
June 2021
On 21 June the first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine totalling 50,400 doses, out of the 200,000 that was procured by the Ministry of Health, arrived in the country.[39]
August 2021
On 9 August, Brunei reported its highest daily record of COVID-19 cases in 15 months. 42 new cases brings up the total confirmed cases to 406.[40]
On 11 August, Brunei reported another highest daily record of COVID-19 cases with 54 new cases.[41]
On 20 August, Brunei recorded another death from a COVID-19 sufferer. The victim, Allahyarham, was 70 years old but his death was categorised as a heart attack and it is claimed that the cause of death was not COVID-19; as such details about the victim will not be revealed to the public and the Ministry implores for the public to not reveal personal details of the deceased.[42] Also on this day Brunei received a donation of 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine from Singapore.[43]
On 1 September, the Ministry of Health announced that vaccine rollout would be temporarily paused for members of the public who had not received any doses yet, due to a vaccine shortage in the country. People awaiting their second dose & vulnerable groups, namely: the elderly, pregnant women and differently-abled people, would be prioritised until the supply situation improves;[44][45][46] the next day the Ministry announced that they were currently in negotiations with Singapore in an attempt to perform a vaccine trade with the city-state, however the situation is proving to be difficult as Brunei would also need to apply for approval from the vaccine manufacturers in addition to the government of Singapore.[47][45]
Distribution
| Districts | Confirmed | Active | Recovered | Deceased | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brunei-Muara | 9822 | 401 | 9348 | 31 |
| 2 | Belait | 3846 | 32 | 3790 | 24 |
| 3 | Tutong | 1197 | 38 | 1157 | 2 |
| 4 | Temburong | 228 | 16 | 212 | 0 |
| Total | 15093 | 487 | 14507 | 57 | |
Reactions
In late January, Brunei announced entry restrictions for people coming from China.[48] Starting February 1, temperature screening was implemented on entry to the country. Royal Brunei Airlines reduced flights to China.[49] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education announced that the first school term break scheduled for 16 March 2020 would be moved forward to 11 March.[13]
On 14 March, the Brunei Ministry of Health ordered 638 people to go into quarantine. The Ministry has also stepped up efforts to track more close contacts of positive cases.[17]
On 15 March, the Bruneian Government barred all citizens and foreign residents from leaving as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Health has also banned mass gatherings including weddings and sporting events. In addition the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam, the Tutong District Amateur Football Association League, and the Brunei Basketball Association suspended all matches and games.[18][19]
On 16 March, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced a one-week closure for all mosques in the country, from 17 March until 23 March, and the Friday prayers which coincided with this time were suspended.[20][50] However, the adhan or Islamic prayer calls would still be conducted.[20] The Bruneian Government also announced that the Temburong Bridge would be opened on the following day, earlier than scheduled, to ease travelling to the Temburong District exclave after the government announced outbound travel ban.[20][51] Previously, commuters have to drive through the Malaysian Limbang District or take passenger ferry services. At initial opening, the bridge was opened from 6 am to 10 pm and traffic is only allowed for Brunei-registered vehicles.[52] However, on the first day of opening, citizens were seen flocking to Temburong, taking advantage of the bridge for pleasure purposes. The government then changed the opening time of the bridge to 6 am to 6 pm as a precautionary measure to reduce the spread of COVID.[53] On 23 May 2020 the opening hours of the bridge were extended back to their original times.[54][55]
Notes
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Latest news – Detection of the First Case of COVID-19 Infection". Brunei Ministry of Health. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "COVID-19". healthinfo.gov.bn. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ↑ Arumugam, Tharanya (11 March 2020). "Attended a tabligh event at Masjid Sri Petaling? Go get tested for Covid-19". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ Barker, Anne (19 March 2020). "Wonder how dangerous a gathering can be? Here's how one event sparked hundreds of coronavirus cases across Asia". ABC News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ↑ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ↑ Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- 1 2 "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ↑ "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- ↑ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ↑ "Ministry of Health - pressreleaseCOVID-19". www.moh.gov.bn. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "Latest news - All items". www.moh.gov.bn. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- 1 2 "Brunei reports more coronavirus cases". The Star. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- 1 2 "Coronavirus: Brunei reports 5 more cases, bringing total to six". The Straits Times. 11 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei Reports First Coronavirus Cases". New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ↑ Bandial, Ain (12 March 2020). "Coronavirus fear grips Brunei, as number of cases rise to 11 within days". The Scoop. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei reports 14 new cases of Covid-19, 25 cases now". The Star. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- 1 2 "Coronavirus: Brunei reports three new cases, all linked to religious gathering in Malaysia". The Straits Times. 14 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- 1 2 "Brunei bars residents from leaving as coronavirus cases reach 50 (update)". The Star. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- 1 2 "Surge in Malaysia, Brunei coronavirus cases linked to religious event". Arab News. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "COVID-19 live updates: Brunei records first death linked to the virus". The Scoop. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Covid-19: Brunei records three new positive cases today, total 91". Borneo Post Online. 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ Staff writer(s) (25 March 2020). "Five more COVID-19 cases confirmed, taking tally to 109". The Scoop. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ↑ Staff writer(s) (26 March 2020). "COVID-19 tally rises to 114, three patients make full recovery". The Scoop. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ↑ Staff writer(s) (27 March 2020). "One new case confirmed, another 6 patients recover". The Scoop. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ↑ "Latest news - There is one new case of COVID-19 Case Reported..." www.moh.gov.bn. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei reports 1 new Covid-19 case after 16-day record | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei to partially reopen schools on June 2 as coronavirus concerns ease". The Scoop. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei schools to reopen on June 2 | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei records one new COVID-19 case after 91 days". The Scoop. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei reports 1 new COVID-19 case in 92 days, 142 in total - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ↑ "Covid-19: Brunei records one new positive case today". Borneo Post Online. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ↑ "Brunei records one new COVID-19 case after 91 days » Borneo Bulletin Online". Borneo Bulletin Online. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ↑ "Press Release on the current situation of COVID-19 in Brunei Darussalam (23.11.2020)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ↑ "Press Release on the current situation of COVID-19 in Brunei Darussalam (24.11.2020)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ↑ "Press Release on the current situation of COVID-19 in Brunei Darussalam (01.12.2020)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ↑ "MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT SITUATION OF COVID-19 IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 22 Rabiulakhir 1442 / 08 December 2020" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ↑ "Ministry of Health on Instagram: "Status terkini COVID-19 di Negara Brunei Darussalam #mohbrunei #covid19 #covi̇d19brunei"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ↑ "MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT SITUATION OF COVID-19 IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 19 Jamadilawal 1442 / 03 January 2021" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ↑ "Moderna vaccine reaches Brunei shores". Borneo Bulletin Online. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ↑ "Brunei sees record COVID-19 cases after first local infections in 15 months". Reuters. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ↑ Han, Shareen (11 August 2021). "Brunei posts another record high daily COVID-19 cases with 54 infections". The Scoop. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "197 new cases COVID-19 reported today, 20 August 2021". Ministry of Health Brunei. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ↑ "Singapore sends 100,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Brunei". CNA. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ↑ Azahari, Izah (1 September 2021). "First-dose inoculations for public halted » Borneo Bulletin Online". First-dose inoculations for public halted. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- 1 2 "ADMINISTRATION of the COVID-19 vaccine under the national vaccination programme". Ministry of Health. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ↑ "MoH stops first-dose COVID-19 vaccination amid supply shortage". The Scoop. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ↑ "Vaccine swap: Brunei negotiates with Singapore » Borneo Bulletin Online". Vaccine swap: Brunei negotiates with Singapore. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ↑ "Coronavirus: Brunei limits entry for China visitors – The Bruneian". Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ↑ "Wuhan coronavirus: Brunei starts health screening at all entry points". The Scoop. 1 February 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ↑ "All Mosques, Suraus And Religious Halls In The Country Will Be Temporarily Closed For A Week-Period | Brunei's No.1 News Website". www.brudirect.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Temburong Bridge To Open To Public On 17 March | Brunei's No.1 News Website". www.brudirect.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Temburong bridge opens to traffic today". The Scoop. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Temburong Bridge operating hours revised » Borneo Bulletin Online". Borneo Bulletin Online. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ↑ "News - Temburong Bridge operating hours extended..." www.mofe.gov.bn. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ↑ @borneo_bulletin (23 May 2020). "The opening hours of the Temburong Bridge will be extended from 6am - 10pm daily starting May 24 - Minister at the PMO and Minister of Finance and Economy II" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
External links
- Latest Updates on the Coronavirus cases in Brunei – Ministry of Health of Brunei
- CoronaTracker – Statistics on the coronavirus cases in Brunei
- Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases and historical data by Johns Hopkins University
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