Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF) JS Uraga and JS Hirado made a logistic port of call to Brunei Darussalam on December 27. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Suspension of cross border activities extended
Cross-border activities are futher suspended until January 15, 2022 announced the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) yesterday. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Auto thief lands four years in jail
The Magistrate’s Court yesterday handed a four years’ jail sentence to a local man for auto thefts after considering a long list of previous convictions along with mischief and drugs offences from 2007 to 2018. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Omicron ‘tsunami’ as world cases hit record
PARIS (AFP) – A COVID variant-driven “tsunami” threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday as AFP data showed cases have surged across the world in the past week to levels never seen before. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
India extends security law after botched ambush
NEW DELHI (AFP) – The Indian government extended yesterday a special law giving armed forces sweeping powers in the north-eastern state of Nagaland, days after a botched army ambush killed 14 people. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
UK health officials prepare for Omicron surge at hospitals
LONDON (AP) – England’s National Health Service (NHS) is building temporary structures at hospitals around the country to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 patients as the highly transmissible Omicron variant fuels a new wave of infections. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Six provinces in Canada report new daily highs for coronavirus
TORONTO (AP) – Coronavirus infections set new one-day highs in six Canadian provinces Wednesday, prompting several provinces to impose more restrictions in hopes of containing the spread of the Omicron variant. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.
Brunei logs 5 new COVID cases
Brunei Darussalam adds five new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, including two imported cases, bringing the total number of cases to 15,470, according to the Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Md Isham bin Hj Jaafar at a press conference.
The number of new cases is the result of 2,681 laboratory tests conducted in the past 24 hours. Therefore, the rate of positive case is 0.2%.
Among the cases being treated at the National Isolation Centre, there is no case is in Category 4 (requiring oxygen assistance and under close monitoring) and one case is still in Category 5 (requiring assistance of artificial ventilation and an additional heart/lung machine, ECMO at the Intensive Care Unit).
7 cases have recovered on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Brunei Darussalam to 15,272 cases and the total active cases are 98 cases.
Meanwhile, the bed occupancy rate in isolation centres nationwide is 2.6%.
As of yesterday, 29 December 2021, the overall rate of the population who have received at least one dose of the vaccine is 94.5%; The rate of those who have received two doses ofthe vaccine is 93.3%; while the rate of those who have received three doses of the vaccine is 19.5%.
More details on Friday’s Borneo Bulletin
Full video of today’s Press Conference can be viewed on our Instagram page.
Palestinian president makes rare Israel visit for talks
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel unveiled a package of “confidence-building measures” for the occupied West Bank yesterday, after Defence Minister Benny Gantz hosted talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (AP pic below) on his first visit in years.
Abbas, leading a high-ranking delegation on his first visit to Israel for an official meeting since 2010, held talks with Gantz at his home in the central town of Rosh HaAyin, according to Israeli sources and media.
“We discussed the implementation of economic and civilian measures, and emphasised the importance of deepening security coordination and preventing terror and violence – for the well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians,” Gantz said after the meeting on Tuesday evening.
Yesterday, Israel’s Defence Ministry announced “confidence-building measures” with the Palestinian Authority (PA).
These included a USD32 million advance payment to the PA in taxes collected on its behalf by Israel, and the granting of 600 extra permits allowing Palestinian businessmen to cross into Israel.
It also announced the regularisation of 6,000 more Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, which has been under Israeli control since the Six-Day War of 1967.
Israel had already announced in October – for the first time since 2009 – the regularisation of the status of 4,000 Palestinians living in the large swathe of the West Bank known as Area C, where Israel exercises civilian as well as military control.
Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the meeting with Gantz, saying it had been a “serious and courageous effort” towards a “political” solution.
“The meeting dealt with the importance of creating a political horizon that leads to a political solution, in accordance with international resolutions,” Sheikh said.
After Israel’s coalition government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was formed in June, Gantz had visited the PA’s headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah in August for talks with Abbas.
Travel Green List revoked
Azlan Othman
The COVID-19 Steering Committee agreed to temporarily omit all countries from the Travel Green List following the current COVID-19 situation, particularly the rise of cases in several countries and the threat from the Omicron variant.
No countries will be placed in the Travel Green List from January 1, 2022.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said this at the daily press conference yesterday.
In a press release on December 12, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced that from January 1, 2022, citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam and foreign nationals who have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations are permitted to exit the country for non-essential travel via air transportation to countries on the Travel Green List – Australia, China, Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK).
However on December 22, the UK was taken off from Brunei’s Travel Green List for non-essential travel effective immediately.
The COVID-19 Steering Committee made the decision following the rapid spread of Omicron in the UK.
The minister said yesterday that before entering Brunei Darussalam, all travellers are required to undergo an RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin, without the need to undergo an antigen rapid test (ART).
All individuals are also required to undergo mandatory self-isolation at designated hotels only.
All inbound travellers are required to undergo an ART test upon arrival in the country as well as an RT-PCR test on the fifth day post-arrival at the Sports Complex, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital.
Essential outbound travel is allowed for citizens and permanent residents of Brunei Darussalam who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination within 14 days to three months (and no longer six months) prior to departure or for those who have received a booster dose.
Foreigners wishing to enter the Sultanate for essential purposes are still required to obtain Entry Travel Pass approval. Meanwhile, citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam wishing to exit the country for essential travel are required to obtain exit-travel approval. For guidelines and online application forms, the public can visit the PMO website.
The conditions for the consideration of entry and exit travel are subject to review by the Steering Committee for COVID-19 from time to time. For inquiries, contact 120 or e-mail travelapplication@jpm.gov.bn (for Exit Travel applications) and infoentrytravel@immigration.gov.bn (for Entry Travel Pass approvals).