Bahrain's cinemas and gyms to open for vaccinated people on first day of Eid Al Fitr

The rules will also allow people who have recovered from the virus to visit indoor attractions

Bahrain is opening leisure spaces to vaccinated people and those who have recovered from coronavirus from the end of Ramadan and beginning of Eid Al Fitr. Getty

Bahrain will allow indoor gyms, swimming pools, cinemas and other attractions to open to vaccinated people and those who have recovered from coronavirus, officials announced on Wednesday.

The end of Ramadan and beginning of Eid Al Fitr will mark the start of the new rules, said the National Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus.

The attractions will be open to those who are 14 days past their second Covid-19 vaccine injection and their children, as well as people who have recovered from the virus.

Both categories will need to show their vaccine or recovery status on government health app BeAware Bahrain or show a vaccination certificate.

Spas, mass sporting events and indoor conference centres will also be open under the new rules, but the committee said the changes would be subject to periodic review.

Bahrain is experiencing a tenfold surge in Covid-19 cases, compared with a daily low of about 100 cases a day last November.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health announced 1,020 new cases. Authorities said 57 Covid-19 patients are in a critical condition while another 152 are receiving medical treatment for the disease.

Bahrain offers citizens and residents a choice of four vaccines –  Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V – free of charge.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine has been approved for emergency use.

The kingdom took novel approaches to encourage citizens and residents to get vaccinated, including mobile vaccination clinics and converting underused malls.

Vaccinated travellers to Bahrain and those who have recovered from coronavirus will also no longer be required to take a PCR test on arrival, according to Wednesday's announcement.

Coronavirus around the world: in pictures

• 

  People sit along the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, France, as the country enters its third lockdown. Reuters

• 

  People attend the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue, New York, US. Reuters

• 

  Spanish citizens disembark from a ferry at the Port of Algeciras in Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain. People had been trapped in Morocco after the Moroccan government suspended flights with Spain due to a new strain of coronavirus. EPA

• 

  Israeli actor Shiran Huberman gets ready for a show for vaccinated spectators at the Habima Theatre, Tel Aviv, Israel. AP Photo

• 

  A congregant listens to a prayer during a drive-in Easter service at the Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, South Carolina, US. Reuters

• 

  Residents watch the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race from their gardens in Ely, Britain. The race took place without spectators due to the coronavirus. Reuters

• 

  A woman walks past a mural depicting a white dove parachuting Covid-19 vaccine vials, near the Italian health ministry headquarters in Rome. AP Photo

• 

  An Aceh government staff member receives the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine during a mass vaccination drive for Aceh civil servants and government officials in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. EPA

• 

  People stand in line outside a community vaccination centre administering the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Hong Kong, China. Bloomberg

• 

  Preparations are under way to reopen the Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal. Museums and monuments are the latest to open as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP