Bahrain to Discontinue Covid-19 Red Travel List

As recommended by the National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus. Bahrain’s Government Executive Committee has approved updating Bahrain’s entry procedures. The Civil Aviation Affairs has announced on Thursday 11^th November 2021, that it will discontinue its red travel list starting on the 14^th of November 2021. The red travel list contains the list of countries where travelers are prohibited from entering the kingdom due to Covid-19.

There were 16 countries on Bahrain’s travel red list which were considered high-risk:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Costa Rica
• Ethiopia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Mongolia
• Nepal
• Philippines
• Romania
• Slovenia
• Sri Lanka
• Tunisia
• Ukraine
• Vietnam

Only residents and citizens of Bahrain coming from the red list countries were allowed entry but they had to follow strict quarantine procedures upon arrival.  The last update to the red travel list was on the 7^th of October 2021 when it removed 11 countries from the list. The issuance of new work permits for people from red list countries was also suspended in June but it’s still unclear if the discontinuation of the red travel list will affect this regulation.

Aside from ending the red travel list, Bahrain is also discontinuing the need for unvaccinated travelers to quarantine in a licensed facility. Unvaccinated travelers aged 12 years and above can now serve their quarantine period of 10 days in the comforts of their own homes.

Bahrain had won praises from the officials of the World Health Organization for its handling of the pandemic which included the quick provision of isolation wards, as well as a massive contact-tracing operation. The country also began testing for the virus extensively and early.

For most of 2020, Bahrain managed to keep its infections to less than a thousand per day. The only major spike happened in May 2021 when almost 3,000 cases per day were reported. Currently, Covid-19 infections are steadily decreasing in the country with less than 300 active cases at present.