Commercial and industrial businesses providing goods or services directly to customers can resume usual operations from tomorrow, it was announced last night, the GDN reported today.

The relaxation in restrictions were made during a meeting of the Government’s Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, and held remotely to review Bahrain’s measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The Crown Prince highlighted that ongoing compliance with health orders during Ramadan demonstrates the strong sense of solidarity and collective Covid-19 awareness among citizens and residents.

He added that both concepts underpin the success of all virus mitigation efforts and must continue in order to safeguard the health of all.

The decision followed a report by the National Medical Task Force to Combat the Coronavirus, headed by Supreme Council for Health chairman Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

It was decided that commercial and industrial businesses can resume their operations provided they meet the following conditions:

• All employees and customers are required to wear face masks inside the premises.

• To reduce the number of individuals across the facilities at any one time, limiting overcrowding, and ensuring social distancing guidelines are followed.

• Stores and facilities are to be regularly and thoroughly disinfected, in accordance with the Health Ministry’s guidelines.

• Appropriately spaced floor markings for queueing at the entrance of the store are placed, to maintain social distancing guidelines issued by the ministry.

Additionally, the committee directed the private sector to continue to abide by the following guidelines.

- Encourage remote working where possible

- Minimise the number of employees present in an office at any one time, and to ensure social distancing guidelines are observed

- Reduce the number of employees using transportation services provided by the employer

• Movie theatres are to remain closed

• All commercial sports gymnasiums, fitness studios, swimming pools, and centres for recreational activities are to remain closed

• Restaurants, tourist facilities and places serving food are to remain limited to delivery and take-out only

• Shisha cafes are to remain closed and limited to delivery and take-out of food only

• Salons are to remain closed

• All non-essential medical services provided by private health clinics are to remain suspended

• Grocery stores will continue to designate the first hour of operation for the elderly as well as pregnant women to reduce their interaction with others

• Public gatherings are to remain limited to five individuals or fewer. Individuals are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, and to only leave home when absolutely necessary

• Citizens and residents are obliged to wear face masks when in public.

The committee underlined that the well-being of citizens and residents remains at the heart of all preventive measures introduced to mitigate the spread of the virus.