The Ministry of Health has also updated the guidelines of wearing the face masks. Anyone found failing to comply with the directives for wearing face mask can be fined a compound of $100 under the Infectious Diseases Act, Chapter 204.

To improve contact tracing, the Ministry of Health will introduce a notification system through short messaging via the BruHealth application to those who are likely to be exposed to the newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases. Those who receive the message are required to immediately visit any nearby swabbing centre to undergo test. People who seldom use the BruHealth application are advised to activate the said app and use it to scan QR code when entering and exiting any premise each time, apart from activating the Bluetooth function while at public areas. The public’s cooperation in this matter will assist the ministry in carrying out contact tracing swiftly and effectively. Meanwhile, the mass gathering ban that was announced on 7th August, are exempted for health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, vaccination centres and swabbing centres, either at government or private premises that provides medical services to the public. In this regard, any individual who are instructed to undergo quarantine are not allowed to leave quarantine to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot either for first or second dose. The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in the country and at the regional and international level and will carry out continuous risk assessment. The ministry will also inform the public on any changes of the situation from time to time if needed.

Source: Radio Television Brunei