Visitors from five countries face Bahrain entry ban

TDT | Manama 

Visitors from five countries have been banned from entering the Kingdom as the government takes up strict measures to prevent coronavirus outbreak in the country. The authorities in Bahrain have decided to put in place three stringent steps to ensure that coronavirus is not spreading in the Kingdom, in case anyone gets diagnosed. The steps include banning entry to all foreigners who have visited five countries including Iran, Thailand, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Malaysia and the Republic of South Korea.

  “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior, has activated several procedures related to arrivals to the Kingdom of Bahrain in light of the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19),” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday. “The procedures include: Banning entry to all foreign visitors who have visited the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Malaysia and the Republic of South Korea within 14 days of their date of arrival in the Kingdom.

“Bahraini citizens, GCC citizens and Bahraini residents who have visited Iran, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia or South Korea within 14 days of arriving in Bahrain will be subject to quarantine and enhanced testing procedures, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). “The ministry advises citizens and residents to follow WHO guidelines and avoid all but essential travel to areas where Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected,” the ministry stated. The Ministry of Health stated that it is taking various measures to prevent an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in Bahrain. A number of measures have already been taken by the Ministry, the ministry said in a statement.  

“The ministry is taking all precautionary measures for this purpose. The situation is being monitored closely. Co-ordination is ongoing with relevant authorities and the Bahrain International Airport.” The ministry urged the public to take precautionary measures after travel. It said that it is communicating directly with the World Health Organisation.

Bahrainis were assisted by the Bahrani Embassy in China to return to the Kingdom to escape the country amid the coronavirus scare. In co-operation with the Ministry of Health, the Bahrain International Airport is conducting thorough checks to make sure patients infected with coronavirus does not enter Bahrain outside the airport.