More people recover from COVID-19

TDT | Manama

Bahrain’s efforts to bounce back from Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread is showing major positive signs with the authorities here adding 16 more individuals to its list of confirmed recoveries which now touches 60. In its latest announcement, the Ministry of Health said the individuals were released from isolation as they came out positive in all medical tests conducted to ensure their full recovery.

The released individuals, consisting of Bahrain, Saudi, Egyptian, Moroccan and Greek nationals, will, however, be continued to be monitored as a precautionary measure, the statement added. Bahrain has recently imposed hefty penalties and prison times against those who violate quarantine measures placed by the health authorities following reports that three individuals had broken isolation measures put in place to prevent the spread.

As per the new decision, if convicted, violators will face a “jail term of not less than three months or a fine between BD1,000 and BD10,000 or both.” “Failure by any individual to comply with the isolation measures taken to deal with infection or suspicion of contracting the virus, including leaving the place designated for his isolation, be it a health institution or his home, entails criminal accountability,” Hussain Bu Ali, the chief prosecutor of ministries and public entities, said earlier.

In its latest announcement, the ministry confirmed that the newly discharged individuals were taken care of by a specialised medical team as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Eight male and 3 female Bahraini nationals, 2 male Saudi nationals, 1 male Egyptian national, 1 female Moroccan national, and 1 male Greek nationals underwent extensive medical testing to ensure their full recovery before being discharged.

They will, however, continue to be monitored post-discharge, the statement said. The ministry urged all individuals returning from Italy, South Korea, Egypt or Lebanon in the past two weeks to self-isolate for 14 days. They should avoid contact with others, and schedule their mandatory medical examinations by contacting hotline number 444 or visiting the Ministry of Health’s website.

14 discharged from quarantine

The ministry has also released 14 individual from 14-day quarantine, yesterday, bringing the total number of discharged cases from quarantine to 139. The Ministry emphasised that the individuals, 13 Bahraini males and a Korean female, tested negative for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) before being discharged.

Gulf states step up measures

Gulf states have stepped up measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait taking the most drastic decisions by cancelling all international flights. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has reported nearly 850 coronavirus cases, mostly of people who had travelled to Iran or who were contaminated by them.

No deaths have been reported in the GCC, unlike in Iran where the toll rose by nearly 100 on Saturday to 611, out of a total of 12,729 infections. Saudi reports 17 new cases Saudi Arabia, which reported 17 new cases yesterday to bring its total to 103, said it would suspend flights for two weeks from today, while Kuwait did not specify a period for the lockdown which began yesterday.

The period will be considered as an exceptional official holiday for citizens and residents who are unable to return due to the suspension of flights or if they face quarantine after their return to the Kingdom, SPA cited the official as saying. Saudi Arabia has also suspended the Umrah pilgrimage and locked down its eastern Qatif region where many infections are located.

Saudi health ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali yesterday urged the population of 30 million to avoid gathering in public places, minimize movements and stay at home as much as possible. “(Such) measures slow the growth of cases so that we can control and deal with it, while the countries that take delayed measures experience fast growth which the health systems cannot deal with,” he told reporters in Riyadh.

UAE announces $27bn

plan The central bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced yesterday a 100 billion dirham ($27 billion) economic plan aimed at containing the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected 85 people so far in the state.

The central bank said it will provide 50 billion dirhams through collateralized loans at zero cost to all banks operating in the UAE while an additional 50 bn dirhams will be freed up from banks’ capital buffers. “The CBUAE is allowing banks to free-up their regulatory capital buffers to boost lending capacity and support the UAE economy,” it said in a statement.

The move comes after the government of Dubai on Thursday announced a 1.5 bn dirhams stimulus package aimed at supporting the retail, trade, tourism and energy sectors. Concerts, sporting events and industry conferences have been cancelled or postponed in the past few weeks in the UAE to contain the spreading of the new coronavirus.

In Dubai - the Middle East’s trade, finance, tourism and transportation hub - some businesses have started to feel the pain from the global travel slowdown caused by the outbreak. The central bank said the scheme was to offer banks temporary relief from the payments of principal and interest on outstanding loans for affected private sector companies and retail customers. “Participating banks should use the funding to grant temporary relief to private sector corporate customers and retail clients for a period of up to six months,” it said.

Lowest infections in Oman

Oman, which has the lowest number of infections in the region at 20, said on Saturday all schools and educational institutions would close for a month, a precaution also taken by other GCC states. Saudi Arabia and Oman cancelled all sports events and activities until further notice, their state media said.

The UAE will stop issuing all visas, except for foreign diplomats, starting Tuesday, the official news agency WAM reported, citing immigration authorities. Gulf health authorities have intensified pleas to avoid gatherings and are carrying out campaigns to sanitize public places. Police in Kuwait used drones fitted with loudspeakers to urge people on the streets to avoid gathering. “I urge you by God to stay at home,” Kuwaiti Health Minister Basel Al-Sabah said on state TV.

70,000 recoveries

Latest data shows that nearly 70,000 people have recovered from the infection since the start of the outbreak in late December. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that more than 68,000 people have recovered from the virus so far, as the number of cases worldwide has surpassed 127,000.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says those that experience mild illness typically recover from the illness in about two weeks, while those who experience a more severe illness could take up to six weeks to recover.

“The most commonly reported symptoms included fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, and most patients (80pc) experienced mild illness,” WHO said. “Approximately 14 per cent experienced severe disease and 5pc were critically ill.” WHO officials say early reports suggest illness severity is associated with those over the age of 60.