MANAMA: Bahrain has extended Covid-19 restrictions for one more week as the country ‘redoubles’ efforts to combat the infection.
Partial closure of retail trade outlets and services involving customers which was set to end on Friday will run until July 2, the government executive committee announced yesterday.
The country has witnessed a phenomenal drop in Covid-19 cases and fatalities during the last week with the test positivity rate plunging to 3.04 per cent on Monday – the lowest in the last four months.
The Health Ministry said the decision of the co-ordination committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, follows the positive results achieved during the previous weeks.
Supreme Council for Health chairman Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said shopping malls and commercial shops will remain closed until July 2.
Restaurants and cafés will be limited to takeaway deliveries. Gyms, sport halls, swimming pools, recreational centres, cinemas, salons, barber shops and beauty parlours will stay closed. Conferences and all sporting events have also been put on hold. The restriction also applies to large social gatherings at homes.
Schools and higher educational institutions, kindergartens, rehabilitation centres, nurseries and training centres will continue curbs, with the exception of attendance for international examinations.
All government entities and institutions can have a maximum of 70 per cent of employees working from home, while current travel procedures to Bahrain will also continue.
However, essential services including hypermarkets, supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies, banks, fuel and petrol filling stations will remain open.
Private health clinics, with the exception of some health services (as announced by the National Health Regulatory Authority), administrative offices of institutions and companies which do not engage with customers directly, import and export distributors, garages, businesses in process, construction and maintenance sectors, factories and entities in the telecommunication sector are also exempted from the partial restriction.
“The significant drop in the number of existing cases reflects the public commitment,” the Health Ministry said in its statement.
“The main objective of all measures is to preserve the health and safety of all citizens and residents.”
Meanwhile, the National Taskforce for Combating Covid-19 confirmed that the closed sectors will be gradually opened once restrictions are eased ‘based on data and developments’.
“The next stage of dealing with the virus requires redoubling efforts and continued commitment to achieve the desired goals, which is a national duty,” it said.
Number of new infections also dropped to 394 yesterday after hitting a high of 3,274 on May 29 – indicating the success of pre-emptive measures put in place by the task force early this month.
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