Bahrain Ambassador to US highlights Kingdom’s outstanding efforts in fighting, mitigating the coronavirus

TDT | Manama

Bahrain’s precautionary testing policy has made it one of the leading countries in the world capable of testing its population for the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, according to Bahrain’s Ambassador to the US Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Shaikh Abdullah said that the Kingdom has tested five per cent of its population, a figure that is one of the highest globally.

The Ambassador was speaking at a virtual discussion hosted by the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW) for 30 officials and experts interested in the region. In his conversation with AGSIW president Douglas A. Silliman, a former US Ambassador who served in Iraq and Kuwait, Shaikh Abdullah highlighted Bahrain’s outstanding efforts and successful endeavors in fighting and mitigating COVID-19. Shaikh Abdullah pointed out that Bahrain has dealt with the spread of the coronavirus in all transparency and seriousness, and the recovery rate is 50 per cent of all cases to date. He praised the important measures adopted by Bahrain and explained how the government, from the outbreak of the pandemic, formed a national task force led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, in February even before registering any active cases in the Kingdom.

Regarding the humanitarian initiatives taken by the country, the Ambassador praised the humane decisions of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to free hundreds of prisoners and to give directives to adopt a number of important economic measures, mainly the BD4.3billion economic stimulus package to support the country’s citizens and private sector. Shaikh Abdullah also praised the fund-raising initiative launched by His Majesty the King’s Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs representative, National Security Advisor and Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to support national efforts to tackle the coronavirus.

The initiative has been widely supported by Bahraini citizens, residents and companies, whose generous financial contributions have so far raised over $55million. Shaikh Abdullah stressed that Bahrain is keen to continue safeguarding the dignity and rights of expatriate workers, emphasising on the royal directives to treat citizens and expatriates equally and to ensure the free treatment of infected expats. He also highlighted the decisions by the Labor Market Regulatory Authority to include a grace period until the end of the year for expatriates staying illegally in Bahrain to regularise their situation or return to their home countries, without having to pay a fine. Shaikh Abdullah said that all these measures are in line with the respect for the principles of human rights and dignity, as consolidated by the reform process of His Majesty the King.

He noted that the pandemic has tested the ability of governments around the world to take action and confront it, and although each government has its own considerations and views for the most appropriate ways to deal with the virus, there are many common practices that have proven effective, mainly social distancing. Launched in 2015, AGSIW is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to providing expert research and analysis of the social, economic, and political dimensions of the Arab Gulf states and key neighbouring countries, and how they affect domestic and foreign policy.