No room for panic

TDT|Manama

The National Task Force is working around the clock to ensure the safety of citizens and residents, said a Task Force member yesterday while addressing a press conference at the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research. The Task Force highlighted the precautionary measures taken by the Kingdom to combat the COVID-19 outbreak and safeguard the health of citizens and residents. During the conference, Infectious Diseases Consultant and Microbiologist at the BDF Hospital and Member of the National Task Force for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani, stressed that community partnership is crucial in achieving the objectives of the National Task Force, which reflect the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, emphasising that the whole community must come together in vigilant participation against the virus.

Dr Al Qahtani reiterated the position of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, and First Deputy Prime Minister, that COVID-19 does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion or social class, and that efforts to confront the illness are the collective responsibility of all members of the community. Furthermore, Dr Al Qahtani stressed that all citizens and residents who have visited Iran during the month of February must call 444 to schedule an appointment for examination, adding that they may be a source of the virus.

In this regard, Dr Al Qahtani underlined the importance of both following the instructions issued by government officials and supporting the work of the Kingdom’s health professionals. Dr Al Qahtani noted that the public awareness campaign to combat COVID-19 currently underway included raising awareness and providing guidance, adding that the campaign is using nine languages to ensure that it reaches all citizens, residents and visitors. Dr Al Qahtani stressed that the government’s public health decisions are intended to limit the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety of all members of Bahrain’s community, noting that the plan to tackle the virus is ensuring containment and safeguarding against the spread of the condition.

Dr Al Qahtani highlighted that steps are being taken to ensure the elimination of the virus from the Kingdom and that that infected individuals are being treated comprehensively. He added that there is constant and regular co-ordination across government to account for all arrivals across all ports of entry to guarantee effective examination, quarantine, isolation and treatment, adding that work is continuing to increase the Kingdom’s capacity to absorb any new cases that might emerge.

Five new cases

The Ministry of Health yesterday registered five new Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases at Bahrain International Airport via indirect flights from Iran, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 38. The ministry highlighted that the patients have been transferred to a health centre for isolation and further treatment, noting that all COVID-19-infected patients are in a stable condition and receiving ongoing care from a specialised medical team. In line with the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the ministry is continuing to screen all incoming passengers from COVID-19 affected countries, monitoring them for 14 days to ensure they are virus-free and do not pose a threat to the health and safety of the Kingdom’s citizens and residents.