Three public schools and a kindergarten have been temporarily closed, as Bahrain has registered two confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19).
A Bahraini man, who works as a school bus driver, has tested positive for the virus and has been kept in isolation at the Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo Health Centre in Salmaniya, where he is receiving treatment.
The Health Ministry said in a statement yesterday morning that the man arrived in Bahrain on Friday from Iran, via Dubai.
The second confirmed case was announced late last night by the ministry, which said a Bahraini woman was taken into isolation and receiving treatment for Covid-19.
The woman was diagnosed following her return from Iran, via Dubai.
The ministry said that all individuals who have been in contact with both patients are being tested and monitored.
It also revealed that the Bahraini man had transported a number of students to the Ibn Al Nafees Primary School for Boys, the Sitra Primary School for Girls, and Al Qamar Kindergarten in Sitra on Sunday.
This prompted authorities to shut down the educational institutions for two weeks as a precautionary measure.
“The patient’s symptoms appeared a few days later,” said the ministry in a statement.
“In line with established public health procedures, the ministry has contacted all passengers on the same flight for medical testing.
“The patient, a school bus driver, had worked on Sunday, dropping off children at two schools – the Ibn Al Nafees Primary School for Boys and the Sitra Primary School for Girls, and one kindergarten, Al Qamar Kindergarten.
“The ministry has contacted the families of students who took the bus, and all have been tested to ensure they are free of the coronavirus (Covid-19).
“The schools and kindergarten will be closed for two weeks, in co-operation with the Education Ministry, as a precautionary measure. The ministry has taken all necessary measures to ensure individuals who have been in contact with the patient have undergone testing and precautionary quarantine.
“All family members and individuals who have been in contact with the patient were contacted and tested to ensure they are free of the virus, as well as being placed under supervision for 14 days at a designated quarantine centre for suspected cases.”
Last night the Education Ministry also issued orders to close down a third school, after it emerged the driver had contact with students from the Sitra Primary School for Boys as well.
“The ministry has decided to close a third school, the Sitra Primary School for Boys, after information was provided by the Health Ministry that the infected driver has mixed with a few students from the school,” it said in a statement.
“A parent has told the hospital that his son and a few of his fellow students rode the bus driven by the infected driver.
“The parents’ details were taken and arrangements were made to ensure they undergo the necessary tests to ensure their safety.”
In the second confirmed case of Covid-19, the Health Ministry said that the woman’s husband and sister-in-law, who were with her on the trip to Iran, have also been taken to isolation as a precautionary measure.
“The Health Ministry has registered a new case of Covid-19, after a Bahraini woman arriving at Bahrain International Airport from Iran via Dubai tested positive, confirming a total of two registered cases in the Kingdom,” said the ministry on its official Twitter account at around 11.30pm last night.
“All necessary measures are being taken to examine passengers arriving from affected countries.
“They will be transferred immediately for treatment if symptoms are confirmed following laboratory analysis and will be isolated at the Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo Health Centre in Salmaniya.
“The infected citizen arrived in Bahrain after a visit to Iran, accompanied by her husband and her sister in law.
“The accompanying relatives were also moved to isolation as a precautionary measure, after testing negative for the virus.”
This comes as neighbouring Iran has reported 64 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 12 deaths. Iraq reported its first case, an Iranian student.
Other GCC countries have also confirmed the detection of Covid-19 cases, with Kuwait reporting five cases yesterday and Oman reporting two cases – all arriving from Iran. Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UAE reached 13.
The UAE yesterday banned its citizens from travelling to Iran and Thailand until further notice while Oman suspended flights to Iran.
The global outbreak has so far claimed 2,619 lives in several countries and according to latest World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics there are 78,811 laboratory-confirmed cases.
Symptoms
In an interview that was aired on Bahrain TV last night, it was revealed that in the first case of Covid-19 in Bahrain, the infected man visited the hospital voluntarily after experiencing symptoms.
BDF Hospital infection control unit head Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani, who is also the head of the Coronavirus Control and Monitoring Committee, told BTV that the man was placed in isolation at 9pm on Sunday night.
“By 2.30am the first positive result came out and it was repeated and by 6.30am the results were confirmed that the genetic sequence of the disease is the same as the one that left Wuhan, China,” he said.
He said quick measures were taken to identify all those who came in contact with the patient and take them in for testing.
He also revealed that authorities have identified all the passengers who were on the flight with him.
“We have several scenarios in place and we are completely ready if God forbid more cases come up positive,” he added to BTV.
“Our society is very aware and as proof of that the first case was of a person who reported himself and that’s evidence of how aware everyone is.”
Bahrain’s Health Ministry has urged people experiencing symptoms of the virus or those who have travelled or had close contact with anyone who has travelled to countries with high infection rates to isolate themselves at home, call 444, and follow the instructions given by the medical team.
The symptoms include high temperature, coughing and difficulty in breathing.
The Education Ministry has also issued a circular to parents of all public and private schools to notify school administrations if any student is exposed to a health risk.
The Nuwaidrat Primary Girls School also issued a notice yesterday asking parents to report incidents of students returning from Iran in the last three days or if they have had visitors who have been to Iran.
On Friday, Bahrain said it was banning the entry of foreigners who have visited Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea within 14 days of their arrival in Bahrain.
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