Bahrain’s new Covid cases highest in GCC

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain on Sunday recorded 1,964 new cases of Covid-19 infections, which is the highest in GCC. With 524 new cases, Kuwait followed Bahrain in the newly-infected patients’ numbers. The United Arab Emirates had 386 new cases of infection yesterday followed by Oman (335 cases), Saudi Arabia (317 cases) and Qatar (165).

On Saturday, Bahrain reported 1,517 cases, followed by the UAE (502), Kuwait (486), Oman (485), Saudi Arabia (407) and Qatar (181). On Sunday also saw an increase in the number of new cases when compared to Saturday, which is a reversal from the existing trend.

With 46 Covid-19 deaths reported last month, the number of deaths in the third wave of infection has witnessed an increase despite the Covid curve flattening during the same period. Generally, the flattening of the Covid curve is associated with stabilisation of death as well as hospitalisation numbers. However, the number of deaths reported last month remains highest since July 2021.

The hospitalisation numbers remained low compared to the total active cases and new cases. The death numbers have risen to 1,458 and there are now 12 critical cases.

The highest single-day death number (four) since the beginning of the New Year was reported on February 13 and February 23. Bahrain on Sunday recorded 1,964 new cases and 2,088 recoveries. And this takes the total recoveries to 506,045 while there are 19,632 active cases of whom 36 are being treated in hospital.

Bahrain has so far registered a total of 527,135 cases and conducted 9,453 tests on Sunday. Since last week, 241,518 new cases have been reported in the 17 Middle East and North Africa (Mena) countries tracked by Middle East Business Intelligence. The number is 37 per cent lower than the 385,228 new cases added in the week to 22 February. The biggest change was reported in Bahrain, where total case numbers increased 4 per cent from last week’s 495,212 to 514,883 on March 1.

Jordan followed with a three per cent change in total cases, which increased from 1.58 million on 22 February to 1.63 million on March 1. Medical experts say the flattening of the Covid curve reflects Bahrain’s success saga in terms of administering vaccine and booster doses along with strict measures taken to tackle the spread of the virus.

Bahrain has registered over 100,000 Omicron cases since January 2022, according to Lt Col Dr Manaf Al Qahtani, Infectious Diseases Consultant and Microbiologist at the BDF Hospital and Member of the National Medical Taskforce for Combating COVID-19.

The first Omicron case was reported on December 11 last year and the infected had travelled abroad. The top Taskforce official stressed the success of the national vaccination campaign in achieving its goals, which contributed to raising the immune response for all age groups which took two doses and the booster jab. “The anti-Coronavirus vaccination has proven effective in reducing the incidence of complications for existing cases, thus reducing hospital admission rates and intensive care and the death toll,” he said.