Brunei boosts testing capacity amid surge in cases

Brunei's Health Minister said at a regional conference yesterday that the country has ramped up its testing capacity in order to deal with a surge in Covid-19 cases.

During the Special Ministerial Conference for Asean Digital Public Health, Brunei Health Minister Mohd Isham Jaafar said that following a second wave of Covid-19 in the country's schools, some essential workplaces and the oil and gas industry, the government had increased testing capacity from around 1,000 to between 10,000 and 12,000 a day.

It was reported over August and last month that there have been a significant number of new infections linked to oil and gas operations in Brunei, including the headquarters of major oil companies such as TotalEnergies and Shell.

There has also been a spike in cases at offshore platforms in Brunei's Champion field, the country's biggest source of crude oil exports.

The surge marks the first major outbreak in the country since the report of its first active case in March last year.

Dr Jaafar added that Brunei has also increased the number of isolation facilities, given that many Bruneians live in large family units and there is a need to reduce transmission in the community.

Covid-19 and pandemic recovery efforts will be a key focus when Brunei, this year's Asean chair, hosts Asean leaders at their annual summit at the end of this month.