Bahrain Plagued by Covid-19, Gov’t only Worsening the Situation

By Staff

Bahrain is experiencing a health catastrophe brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The situation was exacerbated by very lenient measures imposed by the regime's authorities. Travel abroad wasn’t banned, and the country continued to receive travelers from India, where a highly infectious and dangerous variant of COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire.

In addition to the irresponsible measures taken by the Bahraini authorities in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, quarantine has been abolished, commercial markets were reopened, and some hotels were transformed into quarantine facilities that receive Covid-infected Indian nationals. This poses a real threat for the kingdom.

The crisis comes at a time when vaccines are more readily available, and the world is witnessing a gradual decline in infections, accompanied by international measures to limit the spread of the virus. But Bahrain lifted restrictions during the Eid al-Fitr holidays and opened the King Fahd Causeway that connects the country to neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Bahraini health authorities failed to anticipate the rapid spread of the virus that followed. The country saw a record number of new daily infections in recent weeks, which rose to more than 3,000. The number of fatalities also skyrocketed to nearly thirty deaths per day. Hence, Bahrain entered a state of confusion. The government began declaring quick and random decisions in an attempt to limit the spread of the Indian variant.

The authorities canceled the licenses of medical personnel and hospital workers to confront the spread. However, they were unable to completely control the pandemic, making Bahrain a dangerous place among Gulf states, especially since the outbreak coincided with the deteriorating economic situation that cast a shadow on state institutions and companies.

Bahraini citizens have criticized the authorities' disregard for the pandemic and their poor management of the crisis. Bahraini actress, Wafa Maki, confirmed that she returned to her home despite her poor health due to contracting the coronavirus, after the lack of healthcare provided to her in the hospital.

Maki recounts her ordeal through her Snapchat account. She said that she contacted the National Ambulance to be transported to the hospital. The actress was transported with six other infected people on a passenger bus. The patients were not received by the Salmaniya Medical Center or the Military Hospital because the two facilities were full.

In addition to the economic burdens, Bahraini citizens find themselves in a health crisis, amid negligence and mismanagement by the authorities who are disregarding the deteriorating circumstances of their citizens.