Tamara Abueish

DUBAI — Bahrain reported one new coronavirus death and 26 new confirmed cases, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.

The new death is of a 63-year-old Bahraini national who had underlying health issues and was among those who had traveled to Iran, the ministry added.

The total number of confirmed cases in Bahrain stands at 530.

Eight individuals from the newly confirmed cases had traveled abroad, while 18 had been in contact with previously infected patients, the ministry said.

The number of daily confirmed cases in Bahrain peaked on March 11 and has been falling since, according to data collected by John Hopkins University.

Bahrain is one of the first countries in the world to ease restrictions, allowing shopping malls and some stores to open as of April 9.

Bahrain was among the first countries in the Arabian Gulf to enforce strict restrictions, including closing all movie theaters, gyms, public swimming pools, and theme parks on March 18.

The restrictions seem to have slowed down the rate of infection, with the number of new cases falling in recent days. — Al Arabiya English