Percentage of citizens with active COVID-19 more than doubled after the Ashura holidays

The National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) today highlighted that the number of active COVID-19 cases has increased over the past two weeks, surpassing 750 cases on some of the previous days, due to non-compliance of health and precautionary guidelines during the Ashura holidays.

The Taskforce underscored the importance of social responsibility to safeguard individuals, families and the community, by vigilantly adhering to all health guidelines aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus, reducing infection rates and flattening the curve. The Taskforce noted that the virus does not discriminate between race, religion, or faith and therefore unified efforts are required to ensure a commitment to following all precautionary measures aimed at preserving the health of the community.

The Taskforce stressed the importance of safeguarding the community as a national duty, as reflected in the national efforts of frontline workers who tirelessly work around the clock to support monitoring and mitigation efforts. The Taskforce noted that following all precautionary guidelines and social distancing measures are important to mitigating the spread of the virus, and have been introduced based on scientific facts, and international statistics and data on the virus.

On this note, the Taskforce added that official statistics have revealed a spike in active COVID-19 cases due to an increase in social and religious gatherings during the Ashura holidays, as a result of non-compliance to precautionary health measures that have been put in place in partnership with the Jaffaria Waqf Directorate and the heads of the Ma’atams in Bahrain.

The Taskforce noted that the percentage of Bahraini citizens with active COVID-19 has more than doubled than that during the Eid Al Fitr holidays. The Taskforce emphasised that two weeks after the Eid Al Fitr holidays, active cases reached 5568, of which 37% of cases were Bahraini citizens, adding that Bahraini citizens with active COVID-19 then doubled two weeks after the Ashura holidays, reaching 7451 active cases, of which 82% of cases are Bahraini citizens. This represents a 34% increase in cases existing between the two occasions, as the indicators showed an increase in the number of existing cases among children and women after the Ashura season, amounting to 2,787 existing cases for women and 1,480 cases for children.