Bahrain reports a coronavirus fatality

TDT | Manama

Bahrain’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic claimed its first victim yesterday, it emerged, in the form of a 65-year-old woman who returned from Iran recently, as the overall number of recovered cases here approached 77.

According to a Health Ministry statement, the victim was suffering from “underlying and chronic health problems, and was as an active case of Coronavirus (COVID-19).” It is also the first death among the Gulf Arab states, which now have nearly 1,000 people tested positive to the virus.

The victim, a Bahraini woman, is believed to have contracted the disease during her time in Iran where the death toll from the outbreak has already surpassed 850. The woman, the ministry said, returned from Iran via an indirect flight last month.

Upon her arrival in Bahrain, she was removed immediately to isolation. A specialised medical term was then assigned to ensure extensive 24-hour care as per World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

However, she succumbed to her illness, yesterday as her infection increased and immunity was less. Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh, Minister of Health expressed heartfelt condolences to bereaved family members at this time of grief and bereavement.

The funeral was done according to the international directives with the help of the family members. Excluding this, the ministry said that all other active COVID-19 cases remain stable. All patients are being taken care of by a specialised medical team following guidelines provided by WHO.

Elderly people should take care

Health Minister urged the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases to take extreme care against the virus spread while calling on all to maintain personal hygiene. People with symptoms will be asked to remain in self-quarantine.

On new infections, the minister it is updating its website regularly and are treating critical cases with preference. The minister was speaking during a press meet organised by the National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus to update COVID-19 situation in the Kingdom.

12,000 plus volunteers

The minister announced receiving 12,000 plus volunteers to work and that the ministry will train them and call them based on the requirements. Al Saleh also assured that the Kingdom will soon repatriate all Bahrainis currently in Iran.

A schedule will be released later. The Minister confirmed that students repatriated from china and tested negative are currently quarantined for two weeks.

Tariq Al Hassan, Chief of Public Security Major-General, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, Lt. Col. (Dr) Manaf Mohammed Al Qahtani, Infectious Diseases Consultant & Microbiologist at the BDF Hospital and Member of the National Task Force and Dr Jameela Al Salman, Consultant of Infectious and Internal Diseases at Salmaniya Medical Complex were present.

Team to track people

Tariq Al Hassan said the Kingdom is following several proactive measures to maintain health standards in line with international guidelines. A team is ready to track people with infections and their recent contacts as soon as possible.

Bahrain, he said, reduced incoming flights, but have no plans to restrict it fully. Al Hassan further assured to treat people without any distinction at quarantine centre whether expats or residents.

Won’t close shops, malls

Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani urged people not to spread rumours while guaranteeing that Bahrain has enough food stock for the next six months. Authorities will take measures to provide long life products as suggested by WHO.

Al Zayani also confirmed that the ministry is not planning to close shops or malls, as of now.Machine to check infection in 10 minutes Separately, the ministry said that 17 individuals have recovered from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) here, bringing the total number of confirmed recoveries to 77.

After coming out positive to tests outlined by WHO, the ministry released 15 Bahraini nations, one Saudi national and one Lebanese national from isolation. Bahrain conducted 12,373 tests in the last four weeks to detect virus infections, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Al Qahtani.

He said 64 cases were from out of Bahrain, while 85 cases from ICRP. Currently, Bahrain has three isolation centres for corona which will be increased to 4. There are also two quarantine facilities in Hidd and Sitra with a total capacity of 4000 beds.

Dr Jameela Al Salman said most of the cases in isolation are stable. Two people are in critical condition. According to reports, Bahrain now has 241 cases reported, including dozens among citizens evacuated from Iran last week.

The ministry said will continue to monitor the personnel post-discharge. The ministry called upon all citizens and residents who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, coughing and difficulty breathing, to isolate themselves, call 444 and follow the instructions given by the medical team, and avoid close contact with others.

Saudi: don’t shake hands

Across the Gulf, patriotic Twitter hashtags and social media images circulated with the phrase “We are all at home for the sake of ...” using the relevant Gulf country and its national flag.

“We are facing a serious challenge ... From my heart I ask that you cooperate with us,” Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah said in a video posted on social media.

He asked people not to shake hands, to avoid gatherings and to isolate themselves if they have been abroad or show symptoms. Saudi Arabia also yesterday required private sector companies to grant 14 days’ sick leave to pregnant women and patients with respiratory, autoimmune and chronic diseases, or tumours, state news agency SPA reported.

Companies must also ensure that all employees returning from abroad isolate themselves at home for 14 days, as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, SPA said.

UAE reassures food supply

In regional tourism and business hub the United Arab Emirates, the government issued a tweet reassuring people about supplies of goods after a rush on supermarkets on Sunday, when Dubai joined Abu Dhabi in closing gyms, public gardens, arcades and spas.

Bourses in both emirates shut trading halls. Many of the 965 coronavirus cases in the Gulf are linked to travel with Iran, which has recorded more than 850 deaths and more than 13,900 infections.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a new appeal on Monday for people to avoid unnecessary trips. Shrines and mosques in Iran have been closed and clerics have urged people to pray remotely and avoid visiting holy Shi’ite Muslim sites.

State television showed chain supermarkets in Tehran with fully stocked shelves. But hand sanitizer and face masks are in short supply, according to Iranians on social media.

Abu Dhabi airport closes Terminal 2

Abu Dhabi International Airport, the base of Etihad Airways, said yesterday it was closing one of its three terminals, Terminal 2, with flights moving to Terminal 1.

The closure was not related to the coronavirus outbreak, an airport spokesman said in an emailed statement. Airlines operating from Terminal 2 have included Biman Bangladesh, Pakistan’s AirBlue and Sudan Airways. Etihad operates from Terminal 3.

Most flights are to eventually move to the 10.8 billion dirhams ($2.94 billion) Midfield Terminal that has been plagued by delays and had been scheduled to open in 2017.

Kuwait quarantines residential building

Kuwait is imposing a mandatory quarantine for people living in a residential building after they came into contact with coronavirus patients, according to the country’s health ministry.

The spokesperson for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, Dr Abdullah al-Sanad, said residents of the building came into physical contact with the newly infected patients and are now being isolated to prevent the further transmission of the virus.

Kuwait confirmed 11 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 123, a health ministry spokesman said on Monday.

4,700 deaths worldwide

More than 129,140 people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 4,750 have died, according to the latest tally.

Infections outside China have been reported by 123 countries. Cuba, Honduras and the Ivory Coast reported their first cases, while Bulgaria, Ireland, Sweden and Indone