Borneo Bulletin Digital

1 / 32

Since 1953
CONNECT WITH US
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, SABAH AND SARAWAK B$1.00 | RM3.50 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020 VOL.24 | NO.237
LIFESTYLE 14
Eating healthy in times of isolation
FEATURES 22
Keeping the food supply chain on
lock
WORLD 25
Forest Žire kills 19 in southwestern
China
HOME 6
Jigsaw embraces e-learning
approach
Number of cases
Number of deaths
Recovered cases
Brunei Darussalam
COVID-19 STATISTICS
As of 31 March 2020
129
1
45
Azlan Othman
Two newCOVID 19 cases were recorded in the
Sultanate yesterday, bringing the total number
of cases to 129.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji
Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar announced the
details at a press conference at the ministry’s
Al-‘Aˆiah Hall.
Case 128 is a 36-year-oldwoman and thewife
of Case 111. She does not have travel history and
had a headache and ˆlu on March 27.
Case 129 is a 25-year-old who returned from
Phuket, Thailand on March 20 on Royal Brunei
Airlines (RB) ˆlight B1520with seat 33H. He had
ˆlu symptoms on March 30.
The minister said, “Alhamdulillah, by the
grace of Allah the Almighty, seven more
cases treated at the National Isolation Centre
have recovered yesterday and were allowed
to return home, bringing the total number of
people recovered to 45.”
Continue to Page 3
Fadley Faisal
A 55-year-old local man was ordered to settle
a BND5,500 ˆine by the Magistrate’s Court
yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to a charge
under Section 62A(2) of the Infectious Diseases
Act, Chapter 204.
Harun bin Haji Ahmad, the owner of a gym
in Batu Bersurat, would have to serve a month
in prison, in default of payment.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Khalilah binti
Hussin revealed in court that the offence was
discovered by Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF)
personnel, after receiving information from a
member of the public.
The police investigation found that the de-
fendant had continued to operate his gym as
usual, from 6am to 10.30pm on March 26, in
contravention of the Ministry of Health’s (MoH)
order issued on March 19, requiring all gyms
and ˆitness centres to be closed. The police
also discovered a daily log book recording user
entries, between March 19 and 26.
The defendant admitted that he knew about
the orders issued by the MoH.
The court also heard that the informant had
reported the matter to the MoH’s Health Advice
Line, after being approached by someone who
said that the gym was still open for business.
Despite the gate being closed, anyone
wishing to use the gym could still enter
through the front door.
Magistrate Hajah Ervy Suˆitriana binti Haji
Abdul Rahman, in handing down her sentence,
considered the rationale behind the MoH’s
orders to promote social distancing, in ac-
cordance with the objective of reducing the
spread of COVID 19.
“Thus the necessity of these measures in
place, due to the high risk of transmission and
lack of visible symptoms in almost half of the
infected cases,” she said, referring to a press
release issued by the MoH on March 29, stating
that almost 46 per cent of those infected by
COVID 19 did not exhibit any symptoms.
The Magistrate described the defendant’s
action as “reckless”, which she took into con-
sideration as an aggravating factor. While she
sympathisedwith thedefendant on the ˆinancial
impact of COVID 19 on businesses, she also
stated that his actions could have had adverse
effects in extending the period for closure.
Continue to Page 3
Lyna Mohamad
The number of blood donors has witnessed
a decline to an average of 50 per day,
in comparison to the high demand for
blood supplies.
Senior Scientiˆic Ofˆicer at the Raja Isteri
Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital’s Blood
Donation Centre Ken Teo attributes this in part
to public fears over the COVID 19 outbreak.
“They are fearful about becoming infected
if they come to RIPAS Hospital,” he said. “That’s
why the centre has adopted social distancing,
hand sanitising and temperature checks, prior
to registration.”
To gain more public conˆidence, the centre
has set up other stringent measures for
increased safety, including an appointment
system for potential donors.
“Instead of having the donors come over
in large groups, we limit them by the hour,”
said Teo. He urged more people to come
forward, to ensure a steady supply of blood
stocks for Ramadhan.
“During the fasting month, we will be open
in the evenings, but the night schedule has not
been determined yet,” he said.
BEIJING (CNA) - The COVID 19 epidemic is
“far from over” in the Asia-Paciˆic region,
and current measures to curb the spread
of the virus are buying time for countries
to prepare for large-scale community
transmissions, a World Health Organiza-
tion (WHO) ofˆicial said yesterday.
“The risk of transmission in the region
will not go away as long as the pandemic
continues,” said Regional Director for the
Western Paciˆic at the WHO Takeshi Kasai.
Continue to Page 2
Drop in blood donors
File photo of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital’s Blood Donation Centre.
PHOTO: RAHWANI ZAHARI
Gym owner in the soup
for breaking MoH rules
COVID-19: Two new cases,
seven more recover
COVID-19 epidemic
‘far from over’ in
Asia: WHO official