BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Mar 22 (NNN-BBNEWS) – Brunei will increase its COVID-19 testing capacity by 10 fold, with a new virology lab under construction, the country’s Sultan, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, said.
In his special speech on the COVID-19 pandemic broadcast nationwide, the Sultan called on the people in Brunei to deal with this pandemic collectively as a nation, asking his people to apply personal hygiene, such as masks and hand sanitizer and prepare for a long-term fight.
The Sultan said, the Ministry of Health is trying to increase the capacity of medical staff. And to increase testing capacity, a new virology laboratory is being built with the hope to increase the country’s testing capacity by 10 fold to meet testing need.
Brunei’s Ministry of Health reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the country’s total to 83 cases. As of Saturday, a total of 1,633 people have been ordered to undergo quarantine, and 2,699 laboratory tests for COVID-19 have been conducted.
The Sultan also asked people in Brunei not to do panic buying, saying, the government has verified that national supplies, such as rice and sugar, are more than enough. He warned all retailers not to take the opportunity for price-hiking, as this is punishable by law.– NNN-BBNEWS
