Bahrain's National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has extended COVID-19 precautionary measures until June 25, 2021. The decision was made following a thorough analysis of data analytic trends as well as obtaining the government executive committee's approval, the Bahrain News Agency reported citing a statement made by the taskforce. In the statement, the taskforce said that precautionary measures are beginning to have an impact and reduce COVID-19 daily case numbers but the downward trend of case numbers needed to be maintained, and therefore the following activities remain restricted to all in-person activities: • Shopping malls and commercial shops • Restaurants and cafes — to limit their services to delivery and takeaway • Gyms and sports halls, swimming pools, and recreational centers • Cinemas • Events and conferences • Attendance of sporting events • Salons, barbershops and beauty parlors • Social gatherings in homes • Schools and higher educational institutions, kindergartens, rehabilitation centers, nurseries and training centers, with the exception of attendance for international examinations The following policies remain in effect: • Work-from-home policy to cover 70 percent of government employees • Current travel procedures to Bahrain The following may resume without restrictions: • Hypermarkets, supermarkets, and grocery stores • All bakeries • Fuel and gas filling stations • Private health clinics, with the exception of some health services for which a circular is being issued by the National Authority for Regulating Health Professions and Services • Banks and currency exchange services • Administrative offices of institutions and companies, whose activities are not directly customer-facing • Import and export distributors • Automobile repair shops • Businesses operating in the process, construction and maintenance sectors • Factories • Enterprises operating in the telecommunication sector • Pharmacies The taskforce noted that activities will gradually resume, based on the data, after the prescribed period has passed. The Taskforce also recognized the pivotal role preventive action plays in maintaining downward trends in daily cases. — SG
