Bahrain will have to wait at least three weeks for dine-in services

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Restaurants, food and beverage stores, cafes and shisha cafes should stop providing dine-in services for three weeks starting today.

Outdoor services are allowed to continue but will be limited to 30 individuals per reservation.

The Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry also emphasised the need to adhere strictly to measures outlined to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Services are suspended for three weeks until February 20.

Public and private schools will also switch to remote learning during this period.

Health Ministry earlier said it had detected a new variant of Covid-19 virus, without specifying which kind.

Meanwhile, restaurants could continue to provide outside services, but following the controls and requirements of the pandemic protocol.

The total number of people on one reservation should not exceed 30 people.

In case of multiple reservations, restaurants are allowed to serve more than 30 people, depending on the capacity.

Among other norms, restaurants should abide strictly to social distancing measures; with space between tables should not be less than two meters.

The number of people should not exceed 50% of the table capacity, with the maximum allowed people per table being six.

The restrictions are in addition to other previously announced measures.

Violators will attract legal action per the Public Health Law.

The Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry cautioned that it would not hesitate to impose penalties, including administrative closure of the violating shops.

“The move comes in light of the exceptional situation caused by the discovery of the mutated virus in several existing cases, in addition to the high number of existing cases of Coronavirus, (COVID-19),” the ministry said.

Citizens can report violations by calling the complaints Centre on 8000 1700, or through the Tawasul app, or via any other channel available to communicate with the ministry.

National Disaster Management Committee Chairman Lieutenant General Tariq Al Hassan earlier confirmed that security efforts would continue to confront the pandemic, noting that the Ministry of Interior is working to intensify law enforcement campaigns.

He said that police directorate would take legal measures for not wearing facemasks in public places and flouting social distancing measures.

Bahrain offers its citizens either the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or one manufactured by Chinese state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm free of charge.

The Kingdom also approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Monday for emergency use.

Bahrain recently received a batch of the Covishield - AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India under the name ‘Covishield’ as a gift from India.