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Over 8,000 Workers Provided with New Accommodation to Ensure Safety from COVID-19

by BTM

Mon, 01 June 2020

Over 8,000 Workers Provided with New Accommodation to Ensure Safety from COVID-19

Several employers across Bahrain provide new accommodation for workers to reduce overcrowding at labour accommodations, with as many as 8,011 workers having been provided with new accommodation at their work establishments or companies.

Labour and Social Development Minister, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, has stressed the importance of employers’ preventive efforts and precautionary measures  to ensure workers’ protection, through commitment to the social distancing standards at work sites and labour accommodations.

He further highlighted the need to effectively implement the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities in order to contribute effectively to curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), in line with the directives of the Government Executive Committee, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.

“The Labour and Social Development Ministry had formed a specialised team to inspect various establishments and ensure their commitment to professional health and safety standards, pledging no tolerance against establishments that do not ensure workers’ health and safety, whether at their accommodation or work sites,” said HE the Minister.

The Labour and Social Development Ministry has followed up on the private establishments’ sanitisation of 793 work houses, and the allocation of precautionary quarantine spaces at those houses. “Commitment to preventive measures, such as wearing masks, daily temperature screening, the provision of sanitisers, preventing gatherings, ensuring social distancing and avoiding overcrowding at work sites or labour camps, contributes to limiting the spread of the virus,” he stressed.

The Ministry has also contacted 1055 work sites at many companies and institutions to ensure that they are constantly sanitised, and emphasise the importance of spreading awareness among workers on ways to prevent infectious and communicable diseases.

He commended the efforts being exerted by the Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, hailing the advanced level of the on-going cooperation and coordination between the Labour and Interior ministries to implement precautionary measures and combat the spread of COVID-19 at labour camps.

“Private sector establishments must encourage working from home as much as possible, especially regarding jobs that can be done remotely, in order to reduce the number of workers at the work sites, on one hand, and maintain the productivity level, on the other,” said HE the Minister.

The Labour and Social Development Ministry’s in cooperation with the National Campaign to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus has conducted awareness campaigns, citing the distribution of more than 400,000 booklets to 350,000 foreign workers in various languages.

“The ministry has also intensified contacts with employers to urge them to reduce the number of workers at the accommodation they provide for them, as well as to implement preventive guidelines related to social distancing at labour camps,” he concluded.

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