A RENEWED call has gone out by top health professionals to adhere to precautionary measures as Covid-19 cases continue to surge in Bahrain.
Though wearing face masks remains optional, special care must be taken when visiting the elderly and at-risk individuals.
Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Waleed Al Manea yesterday stressed the importance of continued adherence to preventive measures in place to combat the spread of the disease.
A total of 8,324 PCR tests were conducted yesterday of which 2,079 new active cases were registered, while 1,300 individuals recovered and one death was recorded.
“It is important to adhere to precautionary measures to limit the spread of the virus in order to complement efforts in place contributing to the preservation of public health,” he said in a statement.
“The kingdom is keen on ensuring the health and safety of all as a top priority and a constant goal in all efforts exerted to tackle the virus.
“Visiting health facilities require wearing masks but it is optional indoors or outdoors according to guiding instructions issued by the National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
“The virus can be spread by people not wearing masks as they can be asymptomatic and carriers without being aware of it.”
He reaffirmed the importance of wearing face masks when visiting the elderly, those with chronic illnesses and high-risk individuals to ensure their health and safety.
Dr Al Manea reaffirmed that the national health team is sparing no efforts to tackle the pandemic and stressed the importance of community awareness.
Dr Al Manea highlights the importance of following COVID-19 precautionary measureshttps://t.co/EQExQurHgC#teambahrain pic.twitter.com/TT9iGgZ6yt
— وزارة الصحة | مملكة البحرين 🇧🇭 (@MOH_Bahrain) June 22, 2022
“It is critical to take the vaccination in full doses, including booster shots, to raise the body’s immune response and protection from the virus and its mutations,” he added.
“Individuals must also get tested when feeling symptoms of the virus such as high fever, coughing and shortness of breath.”
l Similar concerns were echoed during a media briefing yesterday for the latest updates on the monkeypox outbreak and Covid-19 held by the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Reported cases and deaths from Covid-19 continue to decline and naturally we feel relieved with this news, but is it really the time to let our guard down,” said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari.
He said these encouraging trends needed to be interpreted cautiously.
“Many countries have reduced testing and sequencing services and this means that we are not receiving the information needed to analyse the pandemic trajectory precisely.
“The virus will evolve, and how it will is still challenging to predict.”
He said the region has reported more than 21,890,000 Covid-19 cases and 343,417 deaths.
Over the last week alone, more than 33,300 cases and 62 deaths were reported.
“The pandemic is not over and is still a public health emergency and we urge countries to pursue the efforts we all pledged to do.
“We call on all countries to vaccinate all health workers, older people and other at-risk groups and apply measures according to their situation and needs.”
Meanwhile, Dr Al Mandhari added that the risk of monkeypox is becoming ‘real and concerning’.
“More than 2,100 cases have been reported from 43 countries since January, with three countries in our region (the UAE, Lebanon and Morocco) reporting 15 cases.”
He added that WHO will convene today to discuss monkeypox and assess whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.
reem@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))