Omari Gates
Bahrain, the world's third most densely populated country, has been praised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The island nation recorded its first case of COVID-19 on 21-24 February 2020, when a school bus driver who had recently returned from Iran via Dubai tested positive. With a population of 1.5 million, Bahrain's citizens regularly travel to Iran and Iraq, which were regional epicentres of the pandemic. The Bahraini government swiftly implemented preventative measures, including testing and quarantine protocols, and by April 2020, the authorities had succeeded in containing the virus. As of November 2024, there have been 641,534 infections and 1,503 coronavirus-related deaths in Bahrain since the pandemic began.
What You'll Learn
Bahrain's first COVID-19 case
On 21 February 2020, Bahrain confirmed its first COVID-19 case, a school bus driver who had come from Iran via Dubai. The Bahraini health ministry reported the case after the driver was suspected of having contracted the virus based on emerging symptoms. The patient was transferred to a medical centre for immediate testing, which proved positive for the infection.
Three days later, on 24 February, a Bahraini woman arriving at Bahrain International Airport from Iran via Dubai was examined as part of precautionary measures and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. She had arrived from Iran with her husband and sister-in-law. All three were moved to isolation, and Bahrain suspended flights from Dubai and Sharjah airports for 48 hours. A travel ban on Iran was also announced.
On 19 February, five days before the first case was detected, Bahrain launched a multilingual national campaign to combat COVID-19, with a pre-prepared media statement to build community engagement, reinforce awareness at all levels of society, and provide technical guidance on how to prevent the spread of the virus. A National Taskforce for Combatting COVID-19 had been formed three weeks before the first case was reported, along with a fully functional, around-the-clock war room.
On 25 February, Bahrain confirmed nine new cases, raising the total count to 17. The nine cases involved four Bahraini women and two Bahraini men coming from Iran via Sharjah, two Saudi women coming from Iran through Sharjah, and one Bahraini who had travelled through Dubai. On the same day, Bahrain suspended all schools, nurseries, and universities for two weeks to curb the spread of the infection.
The following day, on 26 February, Bahrain confirmed nine more cases, bringing the total count to 26. Three of these cases involved women travelling to the country from Iran. Civil Aviation Affairs in Bahrain extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai International Airport for an additional 48 hours and announced that flights to and from Iraq and Lebanon were suspended until further notice. The Health Ministry also announced compulsory health check-ups for all citizens and residents who had travelled to Iran in February.
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Bahrain's COVID-19 timeline
February 2020
The first case of COVID-19 in Bahrain was confirmed on 21 February 2020. The infected person was a school bus driver who had recently travelled through Iran and Dubai. The Bahraini government responded by closing the schools the driver had served and urging citizens to avoid travelling to China, Iran, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea. Bahrain also banned travellers who had visited China within the past 14 days.
24 February 2020
A Bahraini woman arriving at Bahrain International Airport from Iran via Dubai tested positive for COVID-19. She was moved to isolation with her husband and sister-in-law, and Bahrain suspended all flights from Dubai and Sharjah Airport for 48 hours.
25 February 2020
Bahrain confirmed nine new cases, bringing the total to 17. The government responded by suspending all schools, nurseries and universities for two weeks.
26 February 2020
Bahrain confirmed nine more cases, bringing the total to 26. The government extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai International Airport for another 48 hours and suspended flights to and from Iraq and Lebanon until further notice.
27 February 2020
Bahrain confirmed seven new cases, bringing the total to 33. Most of the new cases had travelled from Iran via indirect flights. Infected individuals were taken to Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo Community Medical Centre for isolation.
28 February 2020
Bahrain confirmed two new cases, bringing the total to 38.
March 2020
On 8 March, the Health Minister of Bahrain announced there were 94 confirmed cases and 14 recoveries. By 12 March, Bahrain had the fourth-highest per capita rate of positive COVID-19 cases in the world. On 16 March, Bahrain reported its first death from COVID-19, a 65-year-old woman with chronic diseases. On 17 March, the government unveiled an $11.39 billion stimulus package to support the economy during the pandemic.
22 March 2020
A 51-year-old woman became the second confirmed death in Bahrain. On the same day, the government banned public gatherings of more than five people and prohibited all gatherings in public parks and beaches.
23 March 2020
A 65-year-old man with chronic illnesses died, becoming the third confirmed death in Bahrain.
24 March 2020
A 65-year-old man with chronic illnesses died, becoming the fourth confirmed death in the country. The government banned the export of hand sanitisers and detergents for three months due to high domestic demand.
25 March 2020
A 78-year-old man with chronic illnesses died, becoming the fourth confirmed death in Bahrain. The government announced the closure of all non-essential commercial enterprises from 26 March onwards.
28 March 2020
The National Health Regulatory Authority announced that asymptomatic patients could seek private healthcare treatment at their own expense at three hotels.
30 March 2020
The Ministry of Health set up COVID-19 sampling stations in Manama, Durrat Al Bahrain and Budaiya, aimed at processing random test samples from the elderly and populations at risk.
31 March 2020
Bahrain released the BeAware Bahrain application on the Apple and Google Play stores. The app uses GPS location data to alert users about nearby active cases of COVID-19 or locations visited by positive cases.
April 2020
On 1 April, the Ministry of Health announced that more than 316 patients had recovered since the start of the outbreak and that more than 34,159 people had been tested for the virus. On 6 April, the government began distributing electronic waterproof wristbands with location-tracking to monitor individuals under home quarantine. On 7 April, the Ministry of Health announced the fifth death from COVID-19, a 70-year-old man with chronic diseases. The government announced a continuation of restrictions on public gatherings but permitted the opening of commercial enterprises from 9 April to 23 April, provided that they followed hygiene guidelines.
May 2020
By May, cases had increased to more than 7,000.
June 2020
By the start of June, the country had reported a total of 11,804 infected cases and 19 deaths. On 8 June, Bahrain recorded its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day, with 654 cases.
July 2020
The Indian embassy in Bahrain reported that up to 25,000 Indian nationals in the country were to be evacuated as part of India's international repatriation efforts.
November and December 2020
The National Health Regulatory Authority of Bahrain approved the Sinopharm BIBP and the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines for emergency use.
January 2021
Bahrain witnessed a 43% increase in COVID-19 cases compared to December 2020, with an estimated 17% of new cases being children.
March 2021
Bahrain turned Sitra Mall into a vaccination hub, offering four vaccines for free to the general public.
June 2021
Newspapers reported that Bahrain was planning to roll out a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine for the elderly and health-compromised individuals who had already received the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine.
Total Cases and Deaths
As of July 2022, Bahrain had recorded 641,534 infections and 1,503 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.
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Bahrain's COVID-19 treatment and testing
Bahrain has implemented various measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including testing, treatment, and vaccination efforts.
Testing:
Bahrain has conducted COVID-19 testing through various methods, including PCR tests and rapid antigen tests. The Bahrain Specialist Hospital (BSH) was the first healthcare facility to offer in-house COVID-19 testing to the public starting in May 2020. The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) made this elective testing available in the private sector for those willing to pay for it. Bahrain also introduced mandatory PCR testing for all arrivals, including citizens and foreigners, at the country's entry points. Additionally, passengers were required to undergo a second test five days after arrival and a third test ten days after arrival.
Treatment:
In June 2021, Bahrain approved the emergency use of a new drug, REGN-COV2, for treating mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. This drug, developed by Regeneron in collaboration with F. Hoffmann-La Roche, contains a combination of Casirivimab and Imdevimab, which are monoclonal antibodies designed to block the virus from entering human cells. Bahrain also approved the emergency use of Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment for mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.
Vaccination:
Bahrain began its mass vaccination campaign in December 2020, and by January 2021, the country had vaccinated 143,596 individuals. Bahrain offered four vaccines for free to the general public: Pfizer–BioNTech, Sinopharm BIBP, Oxford–AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V. The country also approved the use of mobile vaccination units to reach the elderly and bedbound population in their homes.
Other Measures:
To curb the spread of COVID-19, Bahrain implemented social distancing protocols, restricted gatherings, and mandated the wearing of face masks in public. The country also launched contact tracing apps, such as the BeAware Bahrain application, to alert users about nearby active cases or locations visited by positive cases. Bahrain converted public transport buses into mobile testing centres and set up COVID-19 sampling stations in various areas to conduct random testing for at-risk populations.
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Bahrain's COVID-19 travel restrictions
Bahrain has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the virus reaching the country on 21 February 2020. Since then, the country has implemented various measures to curb the spread of the virus, including travel restrictions.
On 24 February 2020, Bahrain suspended all flights from Dubai and Sharjah Airport for 48 hours and announced a travel ban on Iran. This came after a Bahraini woman arriving from Iran via Dubai tested positive for COVID-19. Bahrain also suspended schools, nurseries, and universities for two weeks to prevent further spread.
On 26 February 2020, the suspension of flights to and from Dubai International Airport was extended for another 48 hours, and flights to and from Iraq and Lebanon were suspended until further notice. Additionally, the Health Ministry made health check-ups compulsory for citizens and residents returning from Iran in February.
On 22 March 2020, Bahrain banned public gatherings of more than five individuals, with strict penalties for violators.
In terms of international travel restrictions, Bahrain imposed an entry ban on foreign nationals who had visited the People's Republic of China within 14 days prior to their arrival in Bahrain, effective from 13 February 2020.
As of July 2024, Bahrain is open for tourism from the UK, and there are no special entry requirements. However, it is always recommended to check the latest travel advice and guidelines from official government sources before planning any international travel.
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Bahrain's COVID-19 economic impact
Bahrain's economy was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's real gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to decrease by 3.59% in 2020, with an increase in unemployment and a decline in the current account balance.
To counter the economic impact of the pandemic, the Bahraini government announced an $11.4 billion stimulus package (equivalent to 29.6% of its annual GDP) to support citizens, residents, and businesses. This included covering water and electricity bills for three months, exempting individuals and businesses from various fees, and doubling the Liquidity Support Fund to $530 million. The package also referred to a draft law to pay the salaries of all private sector employees for three months from April 2020 from the unemployment fund.
The Central Bank of Bahrain's loan facilities were increased to $9.8 billion to allow debt instalments to be deferred and extra credit to be extended. Additionally, the government redirected all programmes by Tamkeen, a semi-autonomous government agency, to support adversely affected companies and restructure their debts.
The pandemic also had significant negative impacts on financial transactions and consumer behaviour in Bahrain. Retail activity decreased, household consumption was restructured with a focus on goods and services that could be used at home, and residents shifted towards contactless mobile payment methods.
A survey conducted under the COVID-19 Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) initiative highlighted the economic hardship faced by migrant workers, particularly Bangladeshis, who represent the lowest-skilled expatriate workers in Bahrain. The survey showed that these groups suffered the greatest economic distress during the pandemic and related restrictions.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Bahrain has had coronavirus cases since February 24, 2020.
As of November 17, 2024, there have been 6,655 total confirmed cases of coronavirus in Bahrain.
Bahrain has implemented preventative measures, including testing and quarantine protocols. They also launched a contact-tracing application called 'BeAware' for both Android and iOS platforms.
