MANAMA — Bahrain has witnessed a 43 percent increase in COVID-19 cases from Jan. 1 to 18 compared to Dec. 14 to 31 and 18 percent of cases registered during that period are of children between the ages of 0 to 17, the undersecretary at the country's health ministry, Dr. Waleed Al Manea, said during a press conference here on Wednesday. Dr. Waleed Al Manea, who is also a member of Bahrain's national taskforce for combating coronavirus, noted that the increased number of active cases in January is a direct consequence of individuals not following public health measures, adding that the responsibility for eradicating the virus rests in the collective hands of citizens and residents. He highlighted the importance of continued and full adherence to public health measures, warning that the virus is still active, and complacency endangers the community. Dr. Al Manea emphasized that the health ministry will continue to conduct inspections, in coordination with relevant authorities, on restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, barbershops, and gyms, to ensure that all health measures are followed. He added that administrative and legal action will be taken against those who commit violations in industrial or commercial establishments, underscoring the importance of compliance with all preventative measures. Dr. Al Manea also said that mobile vaccination units have been launched to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to the elderly and those with special needs in the comfort of their homes, adding that this new service is the first of its kind. He advised the elderly, and those with chronic diseases, who wish to get vaccinated, to register by calling 444, visiting the website healthalert.gov.bh or registering via the "BeAware" application. Dr. Al Manea pointed out that the capacity of Bahrain's isolation and treatment centers is 5,202 beds, of which 2,241 are occupied, representing 43.1 percent of the capacity. The number of asymptomatic active cases under optional home isolation is 2,205, and the percentage of patients recovered out of total cases, reached 96.62 percent, while the death rate is 0.37 percent of total cases. Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Dr. Manaf Al Qahtani, another member of the national taskforce for combating coronavirus, highlighted the importance of vaccinations, which protect the community from diseases and reduce infection rates. Dr. Al Qahtani noted that to date, a total of 143,596 individuals have been vaccinated, adding that Bahrain is ranked third internationally in vaccinations per 100 people, with a rate that stands at approximately 8.4 percent. He emphasized that this is a considerable achievement and a source of pride for all in Bahrain. Discussing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Dr. Al Qahtani noted that the shipment of vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTec, which was supposed to arrive in January, has been rescheduled due to production and supply processes on the manufacturer's side. He stressed that the rescheduled vaccine shipments will not affect citizens and residents receiving the second dose of the vaccine, according to currently scheduled dates.
