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THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, SABAH AND SARAWAK B$1.00 | RM3.50 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 VOL.24 | NO.225
LIFESTYLE 20
Capturing The Essence Of Powerful
Women On Canvas
FEATURES 26
Children’s Rights:
It Is Their Right
WORLD 32
France Says People Must Stay Home
To Slow Spread Of Virus
HOME 5
SHENA Cautions On Grass
Cutting Activities
Malaysia reports two COVID-19 deaths, including one from
mosque gathering
Izah Azahari
The Temburong Bridge began operating
ahead of schedule yesterday, linking the
Brunei-Muara District with the Temburong
District following the outbound travel ban
amid the COVID‚19 pandemic.
Travelling along the 30-km long
bridge allows commuters approximately
35 minutes to reach Pekan Bangar from
Kampong Sungai Besar entry point, giv-
ing ease to those in the Temburong Dis-
trict to travel back and forth following
the closure of Malaysian borders which
will take effect today.
This was stated by Minister at the
Prime Minister’s OfŒice and Minister of
Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia
Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Ab-
dullah during the press conference at
the Ministry of Health.
The bridge is open for operation from
6am to 10pm.
Road users are reminded to drive at a
speed limit of 80km/h for normal vehicles,
and 65km/h for commercial vehicles.
Continue to Page 2
Temburong
bridge opens
James Kon
Brunei Darussalam recorded a drop in
COVID‚19 cases yesterday with two individu-
als testing positive, bringing the total to 56
cases in the country.
This is the biggest drop in cases since the
Œirst COVID 19 case was reported on March 9.
Two individuals in the National Isolation
Centre are in a critical condition and in need
of the respiratory assistance machine in the
centre’s intensive care unit. One person is
under close monitoring while the remaining
cases are in a stable condition.
As many as 23 individuals have com-
pleted their quarantine and are in stable
condition and have left the Sports Village
Quarantine Centre.
Two new COVID-19
cases, total now 56
Rokiah Mahmud
Bruneians who are working or staying
abroad are urged to register themselves
via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
e-register website, said Minister of For-
eign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji
Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya
Haji Mohd Yusof during a press confer-
ence at the Ministry of Health’s Al-’AŒiah
Hall yesterday.
There are about 2,500 students
studying overseas. Out of this, Malaysia
has the largest Bruneian students with
883; United Kingdom 830, and Cairo,
Egypt 379 while the remaining are in
other countries.
Continue to Page 2
The new cases and latest developments
were revealed by Minister of Health Dato Seri
Setia Dr Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaa-
far during a press conference at the Ministry
of Health’s (MoH) Al-’AŒiah Hall yesterday.
The Minister of Health said, “We hope that
the cases will continue to decrease, however
we still have several cases in the quarantine
waiting for test results.”
Explaining on the two new cases, he said,
“Case 55 is a 21-year-old woman who is cat-
egorised as second generation to the Tabligh
Cluster in Kuala Lumpur - infected not directly
from the Tabligh congregation in Kuala Lum-
pur - but through a case that has close links
to the congregation and is now being treated
at the National Isolation Centre in Tutong.”
Continue to Page 7
Bruneians
abroad urged to
register on
MFA’s website
56
0
0
Number of cases
Number of deaths
Recovered cases
Brunei Darussalam
As of 17 March 2020
COVID-19 STATISTICS
KUALA LUMPUR (CNA) - Two COVID‚19 pa-
tients in Malaysia have died yesterday, in-
cluding a man who attended the Sri Petaling
religious gathering linked to more than 400
cases in the country.
Health Minister Adham Baba said the
34-year-old man, who is known as Case 178,
attended the mass religious gathering at
Masjid Jamek.
The event was held from February 27 to
March 1 in Kuala Lumpur.
He developed a fever on March 5 and was
diagnosed with COVID‚19 at Permai Hospital
in Johor. His condition then worsened and he
was pronounced dead at Johor’s Hospital Sul-
tanah Aminah yesterday, Dr Adham said.
The patient did not have any under-
lying chronic medical conditions, the
minister added.
The other fatality reported yesterday was
a 60-year-old pastor from Sarawak’s Emman-
uel Baptist Church.
The man, Case 358, had fever, cough and
breathing difŒiculties from March 7. He has
chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes
and hypertension, Dr Adham conŒirmed.
The pastor was admitted to Sarawak Gen-
eral Hospital on March 14.
His condition worsened and was trans-
ferred to the intensive care unit.
He also died yesterday, Dr Adham added.
Continue to Page 2
Workers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant at Suri Seri Begawan Raja Pengiran Anak
Damit Mosque in an effort to counter the spread of the COVID19 outbreak. PHOTO: AFP
COUNTERING THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19 OUTBREAK