PHOTO
Only one per cent of staff members of public schools who have so far undergone screening for Covid-19 have tested positive.
Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Waleed Al Manea revealed that up until Tuesday, 87pc of teachers and their colleagues in administration and technical services had been tested. The remaining 13pc are currently undergoing testing within a set timeframe.
Dr Al Manea was speaking at a Press conference yesterday alongside National Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus (Covid-19) monitoring committee head Lieutenant Colonel Dr Manaf Al Qahtani and Taskforce member and Salmaniya Medical Complex Infectious and Internal Diseases consultant Dr Jameela Al Salman.
Procedures
“As part of the review procedures prior to the opening of government schools, the Health Ministry, in co-ordination with the Education Ministry, has been conducting Covid-19 tests to all administrative, educational and technical staff,” said Dr Al Manea.
“The examinations are continuing. Eighty-seven per cent of these staff members were examined between September 1 to 22 and the remaining 13pc are undergoing tests according to our schedule. Only 1pc of the total tested emerged positive for the virus.”
Administrative, teaching and technical staff members in government schools were set to resume work from September 20 but the plan was further delayed last week.
The GDN reported that the round of testing was initiated after a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the community and as a result the authorities decided to delay the reopening of schools until October 4 for staff members.
The Government Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, also decided to move the date for pupils to be allowed the option of returning to the classroom until October 11.
Dr Al Manea while reviewing the occupancy in the Covid-19 facilities in the country highlighted that the capacity of the isolation and treatment centre reached 7,642 beds, of which 1,431 were occupied (18.7pc).
He also revealed that 5,377 people were in home isolation and the number of recoveries had reached 89.41pc of the total cases. The mortality rate stands at 0.34pc.
In response to queries, Dr Al Manea dismissed suggestions that a government quarantine centre set up in one of the health facilities in A’ali had been closed.
“It is not true,” he said. “Perhaps the number of people at the centre has decreased, as home quarantine cases grow. As long as people don’t have the symptoms, they don’t need to be at the centres.”
He also denied that there were any plans to close other quarantine centres adding that all facilities were ‘operating’ and they were used for quarantine and isolation cases depending on the need and the priority decided by medical teams.
Among the other public Covid-19 facilities in Bahrain that offer free services are the quarantine field units in Sitra and Hidd, the Muharraq and Jidhafs hospitals, the Genetic Blood Disease Centre in Salmaniya Medical Complex, EK Kanoo Centre, Salmaniya, and the 130-bed ICU facility at the BDF hospital. There are also facilities supported by private hospitals that offer paid quarantine and isolation support to patients.
Meanwhile, Dr Al Salman highlighted that the ministry was continuing to test people through daily and random screening, to ensure early tracing, treatment and a hopeful speedy recovery.
Care
“Bahrain has so far conducted more than 1,355,000 laboratory tests for Covid-19,” she said.
The number of existing patients needing critical care numbered 50, with 131 patients receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, 6,758 cases were stable out of 6,808 recorded cases, she added.
So far 60,117 patients have recovered and left isolation and treatment centres.
raji@gdn.com.bh
© Copyright 2020 www.gdnonline.com
Copyright 2020 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
