None of the workers at the polling centre dedicated to Covid-19 voters were infected with the virus following the first round of polls last week, a top official told the GDN.
Yesterday, the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC) in Sanabis was once again open to voters whose constituencies faced a second round of voting.
The fully-equipped and fully-staffed premises welcomed Covid-19 voters from all the four governorates and they were able to safely cast their ballots in socially-distanced boxes.
Judges, poll workers, and individuals engaging in community service as part of the alternative penalties programme all wore full personal protective equipment.
The general voting centre’s Polling and Sorting Committee head Ali Ghanem Albinali told the GDN that the precautions taken had resulted in no Covid-19 cases among poll workers.
“Our 39-person team of medical professionals and committee members were fully trained to handle ballot boxes and deal with Covid-19 patients,” he said.
He added that the votes polled last week were all sorted on sterilised tables and then put into sealed envelopes that were then sent to their respective governorates’ supervisory centres.
“If the envelopes needed to be opened in case of a Cassation Court objection there were safety procedures to be followed.”
According to Mr Albinali only four patients were seen at the clinic during the first round of voting on November 12, with zero serious cases that required medical intervention.
However, no election monitors were seen at the centre yesterday.
Similar to last week, two clinics were set up at the centre to treat the Covid-19 patients in case of any medical incident or emergency.
The clinics were furnished with hospital beds, oxygen tanks, blood pressure machines and more.
A cadre of doctors and nurses were on stand-by around the centre and in the clinics, one of which was for men and the other for women.
Renowned Bahraini poet Dr Alawi Al Hashimi voted at the special centre after he showed symptoms post contact with a Covid-19 patient.
“This is a dream come true for me,” he told the GDN.
“I cannot believe that we are living this democratic experiment today.”
The former literary critic said that he had voted in every election in his lifetime, including the 1973 National Assembly elections.
“I hate politics,” the 76-year-old declared, adding that he viewed politics as a language of conflict.
“However, my belief in the democratic process here is increasing by the day.”
He was accompanied by his wife to vote; and their original voting district is Capital Governorate constituency six (Tashan, Jidhafs, Musala, Adhari, South Sehla and Tubli).
Meanwhile, another voter who also said he had voted in all the elections was Khamees Al Hamdan, from Muharraq Governorate constituency one (Busaiteen).
He told the GDN that he was simply fulfilling his duty by casting a ballot despite being sick.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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