ALL the prisoners who were released following a royal pardon last week were checked for Covid-19 before they left the facilities, confirmed a top government official, the GDN reported.

Those who are sentenced at the reform and rehabilitation centre will also be tested in the coming days, said Public Security chief Lt Gen Tariq Al Hassan.

At a Press conference held last night at the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research, he underlined the need to be ready for the “next stage” as the number of cases is increasing worldwide.

“All who left the reform and rehabilitation centre were examined,” he said.

“All those sentenced will also be examined in the coming days.

“Meanwhile, visits to rehabilitation centres have been suspended for two weeks to limit the possibility of them coming in contact with the infected.”

His Majesty King Hamad pardoned 901 inmates on Thursday on humanitarian grounds in light of the current circumstances.

Another 585 inmates, who have completed half of their sentences, are to be enrolled in rehabilitation and training programmes and will be obliged to complete alternative punishments.

The prisoners include women, youngsters and patients requiring special care.

Lt Gen Al Hassan also announced that a team has been established to track people who were in contact with those infected with Covid-19 and to deal with them quickly, to ensure public safety.

“The national team to combat Covid-19 is ready to deal with any developments, and this has brought in high acclaim for Bahrain worldwide.

“The National Disaster Management Committee, since its first meeting in January, is holding daily sessions and is updating plans as required in the situation.

“As part of measures taken based on the situation on the ground, gatherings have been reduced.

“And if there is any further development, we may go to other decisions.

“The Civil Defence has sterilised several sites and we are soon launching a training campaign on self-sterilisation for enterprises.”

The public security chief warned of rumours spreading on social media.

“Rumours lead to a state of panic, and that is why we dealt with them from the beginning.

“We have taken action against those who spread incorrect information on social media and we have a team monitoring this.

“We are in a good position, but we must always remember that there could always be developments and we must be prepared.

“Any person suspected of having contacted an infected person must call 444 for his safety and the safety of society.

“There is an escalation in the number of cases worldwide and this prompts us to be ready for the next stage.”