SUPERMARKETS and stores in residential neighbourhoods frequented during Ramadan are the focus of volunteer disinfection and sanitisation operations, writes the GDN's Ghazi Alshehabi.

As disinfection efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19 are underway by the Civil Defence, a number of volunteer groups, civil societies and municipal councils have been lending a helping hand to ensure the country’s four governorates are safe.

Southern Municipal Council chairman Bader Al Tamimi told the GDN that their efforts have been focused on commercial areas, particularly traditional facilities frequented during the holy month.

“In co-operation with the Civil Defence and the governorate’s waste management company and the Bahrain Team we are continuously sanitising, to this day,” said Mr Al Tamimi.

“This is because the Southern Governorate is larger than the others in terms of size, it is about two thirds of Bahrain and we are focusing on commercial areas, parks, and public facilities.

“We start from Hamad Town to Zallaq and then back.

“We have many traditional commercial areas, unlike the capital or other places that have malls, we have these streets that have all kinds of stores and restaurants that people visit on a daily basis, in addition to the central market.

“We are constantly sanitising everywhere, but we are focusing on these commercial areas that get a lot of foot traffic such as cold stores and grocery stores, especially in Ramadan as they are frequented more often than normal days.”

Meanwhile, volunteers have taken it upon themselves to aid the sanitisation efforts in various areas in the Muharraq Governorate, Northern Governorate and the Capital Governorate.

The GDN previously reported that a campaign to sanitise public facilities and mosques in Arad was already underway.

According to area councillor Ahmed Al Mugahwi, the Muharraq Municipality is spearheading the campaign with the help of several groups of volunteers.

He told the GDN that the drive started with general disinfection of areas susceptible to a build-up of germs before moving on to sewer and rainwater drains and public parks.

The next phase will involve collecting sanitation and cleaning supplies to be donated to schools in the area.

The GDN reported yesterday that nearly 10,000 volunteers have joined ranks with the Civil Defence to disinfect public places as part of national efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The volunteers from all the four governorates were assigned by the Interior Ministry to the Civil Defence to receive training to fight Covid-19 through theoretical and practical implementation of precautionary measures.

They received theoretical and practical training on proper wearing and disposal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), proper precautionary disinfection of public places along with knowledge of various chemicals used during the process.

The GDN also reported on more than 900 Bahraini volunteers being trained by the Bahrain Red Crescent Society (BRCS) to take part in implementing preventive measures against Covid-19. The eight-week remote training programme was held in collaboration with the Interior Ministry’s Civil Defence and the Khalidiya Youth Society.

The programme included building the volunteers’ skills and capabilities in first aid as preparation to work in quarantine centres and with positive or suspected cases as well as disinfection operations along with internal and external cleaning.