Izah Azahari
The practice of scanning the BruHealth QR code before entering premises will no longer be compulsory effective June 15, unless specifically requested by building management or event organisers.
With the consent of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the announcement was made by 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 at the daily press conference yesterday.
BruHealth is now being developed into a health management application for long-term use beyond the pandemic, the minister said, adding that its code scanning features will continue to be used for the management of a healthy lifestyle and other programmes featured in the application.
“As such, the use of the BruHealth app, including the QR code scanning, will not be completely discontinued, but to be adapted for other purposes,” Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said.
“Additionally, scheduled ART screening for offices and workplaces will be discontinued. However, it will still be required for those showing symptoms of infection, close contacts of a positive case, and at any time required – for example, before attending a crowded event,” the minister said, before advising the public to periodically perform ART screening as a precautionary measure.
Scheduled ART screening at schools will remain, although it will be examined from time to time, the minister said.
Responding to a query on contact tracing via the BruHealth app, the minister said, “The Omicron’s high infectivity rate has made it ineffective, unlike during the first wave”.
Expanding on the matter, Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar said contact tracing will now be carried out through close contacts who have declared themselves positive via the ART.
“The number of positive cases in the Sultanate has peaked over 150,000, with one in three people being COVID-19 positive, thereby rendering contact tracing no longer effective,” he added.
Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham also called on individuals to immediately notify their close contacts, should they test positive for COVID.
