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Bahrain - Employers are being urged to continue implementing the newly-adopted labour camp norms even after the worst of the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic is over.
Overcrowding the accommodations once again could unleash another wave of infections as the World Health Organisation has warned that the virus “may never go away”, said a top government official.
According to members of the National Taskforce for Combating Covid-19, gatherings of migrant workers inside and around their labour camps have led to the high number of coronavirus cases in Bahrain.
“As per the rule announced by the minister (Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel Humaidan) there should not be more than four people in a room and there should be a space of no less than three metres around each,” said ministry Under-Secretary Sabah Al Doseri.
“This is the government initiative during Covid-19, but in the post Covid-19 scenario it will be the employer’s responsibility to follow these regulations, and the government’s responsibility to implement the law.
“The WHO has said that we may have to live with it (Covid-19) like any other infection.
“Under such circumstances, we cannot afford the camps to go back to the scenario of having six to 15 or more people in one room, because this will put these workers at risk and in turn the society, as we are witnessing now.”
Saying “this virus may never go away”, WHO health emergencies programme executive director Dr Michael Ryan cautioned last week that without a vaccine, it could take years for the global population to build up sufficient levels of immunity.
A majority of the Covid-19 cases in Bahrain feature expatriate labourers, according to data provided by the Health Ministry.
However, this does not mean that these men were responsible for the spread of the virus in the country, said Mr Al Doseri.
He blamed their living conditions for the rapid spread of the virus.
Responsibility
“Coronavirus is a global concern and every country is facing a spread.
“In Bahrain, it did not spread from the labourers but there was a larger spread among this part of the community because of their living conditions.
“It is our responsibility to take care of them so that it will not repeat and anyone who is not following safety and hygiene situations is prone to the infection, not just the labourers.
“They (labourers) are the weak chain in our society and it is our responsibility to support them at this time.
“They have left behind their families and are here for a livelihood and are contributing to the well-being of all of us and the country.”
Mr Al Doseri also added that the ministry and the four municipalities are ensuring that labour accommodations are strictly following social distancing norms.
“The various municipalities are actively ensuring that single and independent workers occupying accommodations outside registered labour camps are moved into proper shelters.
“Our labour inspectors are checking on the situation at the registered labour camps.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of labourers have been moved to various government facilities, under the Interior Ministry’s directives implemented by the four governorates, as part of the national efforts to curb the spread of the virus, which has claimed 14 lives to date in Bahrain.
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