Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi: More stringent steps. Picture: BT/Ubaidillah Masli

Bandar Seri Begawan - All passengers arriving at the Brunei International Airport may have to undergo screening for Influenza A H1N1, regardless of whether they have departed from affected countries or not. The Minister of Health yesterday said that this preventative step and other stringent measures could be taken by the ministry following yesterday's confirmation of the first case of H1N1 in Brunei.

"We are now looking into screening everyone that comes in from overseas," Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said yesterday. He added that previously, the ministry had been selective, in terms of screening passengers but due to the recent turn of events and the current situation in other countries, the ministry will have to step up its preventative measures.

He also said that front-line workers, such as those working at the airport, have to be protected from the infection.

Previously, the ministry had designated the airport's lounge six as an area to screen passengers who have arrived from affected areas. Lounges seven and eight have become makeshift isolation rooms, as short-term holding facilities for those suspected of having Influenza a (H1N1).

Meanwhile, the minister also disclosed that the two Bruneian citizens, who were confirmed to have contracted the virus in Saudi Arabia, have been released from quarantine after undergoing treatment at the King Faisal Hospital in Mekah.

Alhamdulillah, now they are in healthy condition and have been allowed to return to where they are staying in Mekah, Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi said. He added that they were released from quarantine on the evening of June 19 and have been discharged from the hospital.

"Insyallah, they will return (to Brunei) according to their original schedule, within a few days' time," he said, adding that they have been given medical treatment and have been confirmed free of the virus and thus, will not pose a danger to the health of those back home.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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