Wani Roslan

Discussions have been conducted with partners outside Brunei on how to handle asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. This was said by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar at a press conference yesterday.

“Each country has its own procedures, with some having stricter measures of quarantining individuals at hotels or apartments to be closely monitored for 24 hours,” he said.

With the current COVID-19 cases at 73, the minister said the National Isolation Centre in Tutong is equipped with 140 beds.

A plan is currently under way with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) on the possibility of turning hotels and apartments under Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd into isolation centres.

The minister said, “Anyone who returns to the country from overseas will be asked to self-isolate, a procedure that is similar to quarantine – limited to a single room without mixing with other people – because it’s hard to tell if someone is a carrier.”

He also said, “We are encouraging Bruneian students to come home as there is a high possibility of community spread in those countries, as part of our early preparation to curb the spread of this epidemic as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the MPRT has been in discussion with hotels and private apartments on their capacity and security. As self-isolation was previously carried out at home, the minister acknowledged that the practice of self-isolation can be a challenge, especially for those who do not live alone.

However, he added that for such a measure to be effective, a strict self-isolation protocol must be followed.