Brunei removes all countries from travel green list due to Omicron threat

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Bruneian government on Wednesday announced updated measures on the guidelines for inbound and outbound travel, temporarily removing all countries from the Travel Green List.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement that taking into consideration the current COVID-19 situation, particularly the rise of cases in several countries and the threat of the Omicron variant, the Steering Committee for COVID-19 has agreed to temporarily remove all countries from the Travel Green List, Xinhua reported.

"In this regard, there will be no countries placed in the Travel Green List from Jan 1, 2022," the PMO said.

The country said earlier this month that from Jan 1, 2022, citizens and residents of Brunei 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, including Australia, China, Singapore and Britain.

Britain has been taken off from the Travel Green List a week earlier, following the rapid spread of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant there.

According to the PMO, the newly updated guidelines require all travellers to undergo an RT-PCR test 48 hours before departure from their country.

Foreigners who wish to enter Brunei for essential purposes must obtain entry-travel approval. All inbound travellers are also required to undergo mandatory self-isolation at designated hotels and needed to undergo an Antigen Rapid Test upon arrival in the country, as well as an RT-PCR test on the fifth-day post-arrival.

Essential outbound travel is allowed for citizens and permanent residents of Brunei who have obtained exit-travel approval and received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination within 14 days to three months before departure, or for those who have received a booster dose.

As of Dec 28, 94.5 per cent of Brunei's population had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, while 93.2 per cent had completed their vaccination schedule of two doses and 17.9 per cent had received three doses.

The country reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to 15,465.

According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, the newly recorded cases included three local infections and one import case.

A total of 100 active cases are still being treated and monitored in Brunei and 100 patients have died in the country.

-- BERNAMA