BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Bruneian government on Friday announced the introduction of more control measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a curfew and more enforcement activities.
According to a statement from the country's Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the current control measures will be extended for 14 days, starting from Oct. 4 to Oct. 17, 2021.
Before detecting seven local cases on Aug. 7 this year, Brunei had kept a record of 457 days without community infections. Facing a new wave of outbreak, the country introduced the strictest control measures ever.
Besides closing religious places, schools switching to online learning, no dine-in for restaurants, and closing indoor and outdoor sports facilities, leisure centers and cinemas, Brunei also banned most of the mass gatherings, requiring all non-essential sector workers to do work-from-home and barring all residents in Brunei from leaving their houses without any important reason.
The PMO statement said that during the next two weeks, several additional control measures will also be implemented.
Enforcement agencies will step up surveillance and enforcement activities so that the public continues to cooperate and comply with the restriction guidelines issued by the government.
The public is required to stay at their respective residences every night from 8:00 pm until 4:00 pm the next day to reduce people's movement and the risk of COVID-19 local transmission.
In addition to current control efforts, cooperation from local community chiefs and village heads is required to jointly monitor residents and make sure all people continue to comply with all the instructions to control the spread of COVID-19, including practicing their respective social responsibilities with physical distance and no more public gatherings.
The PMO statement said that over the next few weeks, the government will ramp up efforts to ensure 80 percent of the total population in the country will complete two doses of COVID-19 vaccine injection before the end of 2021.
"This is a huge effort given the initial target date for reaching 80 percent vaccination coverage is in March 2022," the PMO said.
The PMO stressed that it will take phases to bring Brunei out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brunei can only achieve this with the support and cooperation from the public.
"With this, it is reminded once again to the public not to leave home except for emergency matters or important purposes," the PMO urged.
As of Friday, Brunei reported 7,326 total confirmed COVID-19 cases. There are currently 2,233 active cases being treated and monitored at the National Isolation Center.
A total of 5,043 recovered patients and 50 patients' deaths have been reported so far in the country. Enditem
