‘47pc of Bahrainis evacuated from Iran test positive for virus’

TDT | Manama

Sources said 47 per cent of those evacuated from Iran on Tuesday were infected with COVID-19. Seventy-seven Coronavirus-infected cases were found in the first batch of evacuees who returned from Iran to Bahrain on Tuesday.

As many as 165 Bahrainis were evacuated on Tuesday, close to half of them were infected with the disease. The evacuation was part of International COVID-19 Repatriation Programme (ICRP), which aims to bring back all Bahrainis, who were stranded in Iran. Seventy-seven were deemed to have the virus after extensive laboratory tests were conducted.

The infected have been transferred to isolation wards. The Ministry of Health confirmed that the evacuation process that took place for citizens present yesterday was in accordance with medical and internationally approved procedures.

The ministry assured that they were transferred to quarantine centres while all guidelines and standards approved by the World Health Organisation were followed. All individuals part of the ICRP will be transferred from Iran under the supervision of specialist medical officials via dedicated Ministry of Health chartered aircraft.

ICRP repatriated individuals are clinically segregated from the general population at a Specialist Repatriation Containment Facility, and will only be formally admitted to the country following a quarantine period and after testing negative for the virus.