BAHRAIN has reintroduced the ‘yellow’ traffic light level of Covid-19 precautions as part of its research-based strategy, a top medic said.
The move was unrelated solely to the threat of the virus’ new Omicron variant as the strain had not spread in the kingdom, said Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Waleed Al Manea.
“As a precaution and proactive measure to preserve the progress made by national efforts in combating the coronavirus, it has been decided to move to the yellow level in accordance with the traffic light mechanism beginning on Sunday,” he said.
“We urge everyone to follow the procedures that were previously announced.”
Dr Al Manea was speaking during a remote Press conference from the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research, Riffa.
His statement follows the National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (Covid-19) announcement on Tuesday that the country would continue on the yellow zone path until January 31 next year.
He explained that the colour change from green was caused by more than just the number of infections, but also by other local and external factors.
“There are indicators that show that the virus’ spread in Bahrain has decreased,” said Dr Al Manea, highlighting the fact that currently there is only one Covid-19 patient needing intensive care and no one has recently died from the illness.
“Based on these indicators, we don’t have a problem, but the decision to change the colour levels is based not only on the number of cases, but also on events in the country and external factors. The lack of vaccine uptake in some countries and new variants are facts leading us to take additional precautionary measures.”
He added that the three mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for passengers arriving at Bahrain International Airport have been in effect since August 29. Passengers over the age of six must take them on the first, fifth, and 10th days after arriving in the kingdom.
Travel cases are evaluated within 24 hours to identify variants, and contacts of positive tests, if any, are tracked and traced.
Implement
“We have a large team working on this strategy, which we are implementing,” he added.
The senior medic emphasised the importance of vaccines and booster doses in achieving the country’s goals, noting that Bahrain has implemented all precautionary measures at the same level as its neighbours.
He urged anyone who was eligible for a booster dose to go directly to a health centre and get the vaccine of their choice.
People can get their booster shots at any health centre without making an appointment. The task force also announced a reduction in the minimum gap for Covid-19 booster shots from six to three months.
Task force Monitoring Committee head Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani who was present at the media briefing also emphasised the importance of booster doses in combating the virus.
“National and international indicators have demonstrated the efficacy of the booster dose in raising the body’s immunity,” he said.
“This is what we’ve been seeing since May, and it’s helped a lot in reducing the spread of variants, including Delta.
“The booster dose is just as important as the first and second doses, and it is part of the treatment plan. It improves a vaccine’s effectiveness in reducing the severity of symptoms should someone later test positive.”
However, he added that vaccination is only one of the tools for reducing virus spread, emphasising the importance of taking precautionary measures such as social distancing, wearing facemasks, and handwashing regularly.
Senior task force member Dr Jameela Al Salman backed him and urged parents to take the initiative to vaccinate their children.
“It is critical to protect children and those in their vicinity from the coronavirus,” she said.
“Whenever the task force reviews the studies or makes decisions, the task force prioritises the health of citizens and residents.”
&uuid=(email))