Manama: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: The reckless attitude towards Ministry of Health guidelines continues to see spike in cases for the past five days with 690 new cases detected on Friday. The Ministry of Health also reported three more deaths taking the total tally to 220 and number of active cases reaching 6959.
The number of stable cases reaching 6916 and 157 active cases receiving treatment while 43 patients were reported in a critical condition.
The number of tests on Friday reaching 12301 and the total tests so far conducted reached 1313471.
Out of 12301 COVID-19 tests carried out on 18 September 2020, 690 new cases have been detected among 125 expatriate workers, 544 new cases are contacts of active cases, and 21 are travel related. There were 613 recoveries from the COVID19, taking the total number recoveries to 56700, the Ministry of Health confirms on its website.
The National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in its last briefing a week ago 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.
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.
