Bahrain to Temporarily Close Commercial Shops

Bahrain has announced several stringent measures to tackle Covid-19 pandemic including a ban on meeting of more than five people and closure of all commercial outlets from March 26 onwards, a report said. Public Security Chief Lieutenant General Tariq Al Hassan announced that all gatherings consisting of more than five people have been banned, said the report. Al Hassan warned that strict measures will be taken against any violators, it stated. Meanwhile, Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Al Zayani has announced that all commercial outlets - except hypermarkets, cold stores, bakeries, pharmacies and banks - will be closed from March 26, said the report.

In another development, Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh has urged the public to commit to staying indoors and only leave the house for necessities. She was speaking at a press conference also attended by Al Zayani, Al Hassan, Covid-19 Control and Monitoring Committee Head Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani and Covid-19 Task Force head Dr Jameela Salman.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced the death of a 51-year-old female Bahraini national who was suffering from underlying and chronic health problems, and was registered as an active case of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The deceased female had returned from Iran via the International COVID-19 Repatriation Program (ICRP) earlier this month and had not entered the general population. The individual, upon arrival to Bahrain, was placed in isolation and received extensive 24-hour treatment from a specialized medical team.

The Ministry highlighted that excluding three cases, all other active COVID-19 cases remain stable and that all patients are receiving treatment from a specialized medical team following guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).