BY James Kon

Brunei Darussalam recorded 174 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the national tally of confirmed cases to 147,667, according to Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, the Acting Minister of Health, at the daily press conference on Friday.

Of this, 173 were detected through antigen rapid tests (ARTs), and one of the 271 RT-PCR laboratory tests performed in the past 24 hours returned positive.

No COVID-19 fatalities were recorded in the past 24 hours.

On the latest number of cases in Categories 4 and 5, the minister said, “There are no cases in Category 5 requiring treatment in the intensive care unit, and no cases are reported in Category 4, requiring respiratory assistance and under close monitoring.”

Two hundred and twenty-two cases have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 145,916.

Meanwhile, there are 1,528 active cases, with three receiving treatment in hospitals and 1,525 undergoing self-isolation.

On the rate of COVID-19 vaccination, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi said, “As of Thursday, 191 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to children aged between five and 11, bringing the total number of first dose vaccinations administered to 34,265 or 79.8 per cent of the age group.

“Some 1,061 second doses of the vaccine were administered to children in the same age group, bringing the number of second dose administered to children to 19,114 or a coverage rate of 44.5 per cent.”

Meanwhile, 70.2 per cent of the populace have been administered the COVID-19 booster shot as of Thursday. Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong and 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 were also present.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin