BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Brunei announced a reduction of annual commercial property tax of up to 50 percent on Thursday, aiming to support local businesses to offset the financial impact from the COVID-19 epidemic.
Brunei's Minister of Home Affairs Haji Awang Abu Bakar said that with the consent of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the annual commercial property tax will be slashed up to 50 percent to business landlords, who are willing to give rental discounts to their tenants this year, as part of an economic stimulus package that was announced earlier.
Brunei reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the national tally of cases to 141.
According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, the two new cases were both linked to Case 139 confirmed on Wednesday, who was detected from nationwide surveillance on citizens and residents in Brunei.
Preliminary investigations have shown that Case 139, 140 and 141 were most likely to be infected with the virus in March and have stayed together in the same place. At this time, all of the three do not show any symptoms of the infection.
The health ministry said despite the emergence of the new cases, there is no need for the public to be panic as evidence so far points out that it might be a "small and limited" cluster.
The ministry also emphasizes the importance for the public to continue to be vigilant and take precautions by adopting and cultivating preventive measures.
No new recoveries were recorded on Thursday, maintaining the total number of recovered cases at 131. The number of active cases still being treated at the National Isolation Center increased to 9. Two patients remain in critical condition. The rest are in a stable condition.
There has been one death resulting from the COVID-19 in Brunei.
So far 157 individuals are still undergoing quarantine and 2,551 people have completed the quarantine period. Some 14,938 laboratory tests for COVID-19 have been conducted. Enditem
