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• Walter Cruz, 68 years old. An academic.
• Travel plans delayed due to governmental restrictions and border closures.
• Kept in touch with family members abroad regularly.
• Sister-in-law in the U.K. suffered from COVID on top of other health issues.
• Pilot expat friend losing job due to COVID.
• Experienced shortage of lamb; a traditional dish served during Waitangi Day
• Sees the shortages of certain commodities beyond their relation to COVID-19.
• Job security is not a concern as he sees the important role that academics play in
education despite lessons being conducted online due to the pandemic.
• Mentioned about the possibility of reduction in the effectiveness in teaching and
learning due to the limited amount of interactions students have while doing online courses on their own which may result in reduced quality of university graduates.
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• Zarina Othman, 32 years old, female, full time housewife, mother of two
• Husband is now the sole breadwinner
• Becomes more spiritual ever since the pandemic outbreak
• Taking care of her family especially her children are now her priority as opposed to
having a career
• Concerned about her youngest son not having the basic skills of writing due to the
limitation of remote learning during the pandemic lockdown
• Understands the hard work of teachers, the important role that parents play during
their children’s online learning from home
• Trained her two children into wearing masks as a precaution of COVID
• Shared how her niece’s university learning experience has been affected by the new
way of learning and that she has been deprived of the physical experience of learning for her science subject and the social life
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• Jasmine Valencia (pseudonym), 39 years old, female, Filipina, located in Brunei
• Domestic helper
• Working for a total of 6 years in Brunei
• Recovered DELTA positive patient
• Stayed in the isolation centre
• Uses Bruhealth Tracing App
• Vaccinated with 2 doses of AstraZeneca
• Could not go back to the Philippines due to government restrictions and border
closures
• Has a husband and two sons in the Philippines
• Becomes more spiritual compared to before COVID infection
• Assists employer in childcare, including their school work at home
• Employer goes out to buy food only once a week during the first wave of COVID
• Pending cash assistance support from the Philippines embassy
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• Billy Mason (pseudonym), Teacher in a private school; Chinese Buddhist foreign worker (Ethnic and religious minority)
• 32 years old, Male, Malaysian
• Finds online lessons much more time consuming in comparison to physical lessons
• Used Microsoft Teams as online teaching platform
• Had completed three doses of vaccination; had Moderna for first and second doses
• Lives in a hostel with another teacher
• Came up with food delivery games with friends to show care and support
• Used delivery apps, such as Gomamam and Hey Domo
• Father came in contact with a positive case
• Has not travelled back to Johor since 2019 and keeps in touch with family members
using Whatsapp call
• Could not travel back to hometown in Johor for Chinese New Year celebration due to
travel restrictions and border closures
• Sent a health supplement hamper to parents for Chinese New Year in Johor
• Took the opportunity for self-growth and improvement by attending classes online via
Zoom
• Wears mask, sanitizes hands, and takes quick showers
• Hopes that the Ministry of Education would give more instructions and guidance for
teachers in advance in case students’ opportunities to sit for the exams are once again hindered by COVID-19
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- Fairuz Zainal (pseudonym), 39 years old female
- Malay Bruneian Chinese
- Medical Doctor
- Frontliner who conducted swabbing at national swabbing centre
- Involved in community work/ charitable drives
- Mother of two children
- Self-isolation from family members by choice due to high risk of exposure at work
- Wore mask, gloves, and sanitised hands when going back home to collect essentials
- Challenging when had to conduct swabbing tests on Special Needs community
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● Jasmine Valencia (pseudonym), Filipino, 38 years old, 5 years in Brunei
● Domestic worker, breadwinner for her family (husband and two sons)
● Social distancing, mask wearing
● Opted for alternatives to the health & tracing app (BruHealth) implemented
● Has family members back in Philippines
● Unable to visit family
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● Zarina Othman (pseudonym), 31 years old, Bruneian, Malay.
● Gender: Female.
● Married. A mother with two kids.
● Before the pandemic, Zarina Othman used to work in fashion marketing in Kuala Lumpur. Currently a stay-at-home mom as well as a consultant on social media marketing.
● Volunteered as an essential worker during the pandemic. Worked at quarantine centres and swabbing centres for 200 days.
● In Brunei, the public is advised to exercise social distancing, frequently wash hands with soap and practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette.
● Tracing app (BruHealth) implemented.
● As of 31st January 2021, Brunei Darussalam has reported 180 confirmed cases for COVID-19, with 3 deaths. 171 have recovered.
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● Billy Mason (pseudonym), 31 years old, Chinese, Malaysian
● Gender: Male.
● Occupation: Private school teacher.
● Religion: Buddhist
● Has been working in Brunei since 2017.
● Was strongly advised by the school / his employer not to travel during the March school holidays as a result of COVID-19 outbreak in Brunei
● Has not been back home (Johore Bahru) since the first positive COVID-19 case was detected in Brunei
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● Rokiah binti Jamal (pseudonym), 45 years old, Indonesian (ethnic minority in Brunei).
● Gender: Female.
● Occupation: Amah/Domestic helper (socio-economic status minority).
● Religion: Islam.
● Has been working in Brunei since 2005. Was supposed to return to Indonesia in 2020 but had to remain in Brunei because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Has renewed work permit multiple times. Currently expecting to return home in March 2021.
● Plans to take the COVID-19 vaccine supplied by China once safely home.
● Besides doing housework, Rokiah binti Jamal has taken up gardening as a hobby to keep her mind off the pandemic.
● Rarely goes to the city centre during her day off because of the pandemic.
● In Brunei, the public is advised to exercise social distancing, frequently wash hands with soap and practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette.
● Tracing app (BruHealth) implemented.
● As of 31st January 2021, Brunei Darussalam has reported 180 confirmed cases for COVID-19, with 3 deaths. 171 have recovered.
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● Sabtu bin Daud (pseudonym), 65+ years old, Malay, Bruneian.
● Gender: Male.
● Occupation: Retired, formerly a government employee.
● Religion: Islam
● Active in attending religious congregations.
● Tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be isolated for treatment. He has now fully recovered.
● In Brunei, the public is advised to exercise social distancing, frequently wash hands with soap and practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette.
● Tracing app (BruHealth) implemented.
● As of 21st January 2021, Brunei Darussalam has had no local transmission cases for 259 days. 88,304 tests for SARS-CoV-2 have been carried out since January 2020. 11,564 individuals have undergone mandatory self-isolation. A total of 176 cases for COVID-19 have been confirmed. 169 have recovered and 4 active cases remain. Only 3 deaths were reported.
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● Walter Cruz (pseudonym), British Expatriate, 67 years old
● Non-Local Educator/Teacher
● Has been living in Brunei for nine and a half years.
● Social Distancing.
● BruHealth (Health and Tracing App) implemented.
● Less and smaller social gatherings including for outdoor activities.
● Family living internationally. Wife experiences travel restrictions and Brunei COVID incoming flights regulations upon returning to Brunei.
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● Syahnur Bilal (pseudonym), Bruneian, 20 years old, student
● Suffered from COVID-19 together with grandfather and aunt
● Isolation and Treatment at Hospital and National Isolation Centre in Tutong District.
● Followed by 2 weeks of self-isolation
● BruHealth (Health and Tracing App) implemented.
● Online learning
● Limited social gathering and outdoor activities
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● Wali bin Aliuddin (pseudonym), 66 years old (elderly), Bruneian, Malay.
● Gender: Male.
● Religion: Islam.
● Retired. Formerly an educator.
● Had close contact with a COVID-19 patient and was required to take a compulsory swab test. Results were negative.
● In Brunei, the public is advised to exercise social distancing, frequently wash hands with soap and practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette.
● Tracing app (BruHealth) implemented.
● As of 31st January 2021, Brunei Darussalam has reported 180 confirmed cases for COVID-19, with 3 deaths. 171 have recovered.
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● Maimunah binti Arif (pseudonym), 50 years old, Indonesian (ethnic minority in Brunei).
● Gender: Female.
● Occupation: Amah/Domestic helper (socio-economic status minority).
● Religion: Islam.
● Has worked in Brunei since 2010 and is expecting to return home in March 2021.
● Is wary of the COVID-19 vaccines supplied by China in Indonesia and will not be taking them until their safety and effectiveness is further reported.
● Besides cleaning, she also looks after her employer’s child.
● Rarely goes to the city centre during her day off because of the pandemic.
● In Brunei, the public is advised to exercise social distancing, frequently wash hands with soap and practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette.
● Tracing app (BruHealth) implemented.
● As of 31st January 2021, Brunei Darussalam has reported 180 confirmed cases for COVID-19, with 3 deaths. 171 have recovered.