BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Brunei reported 12 new cases of the COVID-19 on Wednesday following preliminary tests, bringing the country's total to 68 cases.
According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, all confirmed cases are being treated at the National Quarantine Center at Tudong District. Two of them are in critical condition who need help from the respiratory machine, two are at the intensive care unit, while the others are in a stable condition.
The ministry stated that there is "limited transmission" of the COVID-19 in Brunei following the first reported third-generation case from the first cluster on Wednesday, but there is no evidence to show widespread transmission. So far, a total of 1,373 people have been ordered to undergo quarantine and 1,926 laboratory tests for the COVID-19 have been conducted.
The Brunei government has also decided that as a precautionary measure, all sports complexes and gyms, including those privately-owned, bowling alleys and golf courses, will be closed from Wednesday until further notice to contain the further spread of the COVID-19.
All restaurants and eateries are not allowed to accept dine-in customers starting Thursday, and will only allow accepting delivery and takeaway orders.
A 53-year-old local man became the first confirmed case for the COVID-19 in Brunei on 9 March after returning to the country from Kuala Lumpur, who possibly contracted the virus there during the religious mass gatherings from late February to early March, which were reportedly attended by about 16,000 people.
