The death on 31 May of a 42-year-old male expatriate has brought the number of Bahrain Coronavirus fatalities to 19. The Health Ministry noted with concern on the same day that the number of cases has continued to rise, with 605 new cases over the previous 24 hours.
According to the latest statistics there are 4,776 ongoing cases, with 7,076 individuals having already recovered. Nine of the ongoing cases were categorized as critical, with an additional 46 people receiving hospital treatment.
A week previously, the death toll stood at just 12, with four additional deaths recorded in just 24 hours. However, with the opening of new dedicated facilities for treating those infect with the virus, the authorities have expressed confidence in the capacity of the health service to deal with various possible scenarios.
Friday prayers are set to resume on 5 June, with worshippers being expected to take the necessary precautions concerning social distancing, masks and avoiding unnecessary contact. Consequently, there has been a major campaign to clean and sanitize mosques.
There have been significant efforts to mitigate the economic impact of the virus, with the government pledging to pay salaries of unpaid citizens working in the private sector. No less than 34 private bills have been circulated in Parliament to address the various ramifications of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Labour and Social Development Ministry has announced the launch of the electronic employment procedures in order to facilitate the efforts of growing numbers of people looking for work or applying for unemployment benefits.