Bahrain: Public Schools Turning Into Shelters for Expat Workers
A number of government schools across the Kingdom are being prepared to be turned into temporary shelters to accommodate expatriate labour workers.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed this last night on social media, saying that the move is intended to reduce overcrowding in the workers’ existing residences and allow for social distancing, in light of the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The number of active COVID-19 cases has been rising in Bahrain recently amongst expatriate labourers, with the new cases coming from those in their accommodations, where they are mostly packed together in small rooms.
The Interior Minister asserted that governorates must reduce this overcrowding in labour camps, especially in illegal accommodations, and distribute these residents to government facilities such as schools, among other places.
In their discussions, they had agreed to form a working group to conduct a field survey of the government schools as proposed shelters, in order to choose the most appropriate ones and the most prepared for the temporary housing initiative. This will be done in coordination with the workers’ companies and employers.
Also discussed were the basic needs that will be required in these temporary accommodations.
Meanwhile, as a related preventive measure, mobile testing units supported by Community Police continue to test expatriate workers in their places of residence in Manama, Hidd, Ras Zuwayed, Aleker, Nuwaidrat, Alnuaim, Bukuwara, Salmabad, Askar and Sitra.
