MOH: 16 members of a Bahraini family contract COVID-19 due to reckless non-compliance of social distancing guidelines

Manama, May 10 (BNA): The Ministry of Health has stressed the importance of following all official health guidelines and social distancing measures intended to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) during the holy month of Ramadan. The ministry announced that it has registered 16 active cases of the virus among a single Bahraini family, including parents, siblings and infants, who were exposed to the virus by one of their family members (case no. 2930 under the contact tracing mechanism). The ministry underlined that the family member was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and had not called the designated hotline no. (444) or self-isolated. Furthermore, the individual failed to comply with government issued social distancing measures, which include limiting social gatherings during Iftar and wearing masks whilst out in public. The ministry underscored that strictly adhering to official social distancing guidelines is the responsibility of every individual, and doing so helps to safeguard the wider community. Furthermore, the ministry noted that it has increased its testing capacity to ensure the early detection and treatment of active cases. The ministry emphasised that the virus is still in its transmission phase globally, adding that there is currently no cure or vaccination for the illness. In this regard, the ministry noted that, while the Kingdom’s treatment protocol has been highly successful in migitating the effects of the virus, halting community transmission is the most effective means to safeguard public health. The ministry concluded by stressing the adoption of a “prevention is better than cure” approach, underlining the importance of following all COVID-19 precautionary guidelines issued by the government.