His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, chaired the regular meeting held by the Council on the afternoon of 9 February 2022 at its headquarters in the Amiri Diwan.

The Council listened to the explanation given by Her Excellency Dr. Hanan bint Muhammad Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, on the latest developments and developments to limit the spread of COVID-19, and after reviewing the report of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management regarding the plan to gradually lift the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic. In the interest of the health and safety of all members of society, it has decided the following:

These decisions shall come into force as of Saturday, 12 February 2022, until further notice.

Business and Leisure

• Workplace: The continuation of all employees in the government sector to carry out their work at their place of work, and allowing all employees in the private sector to carry out their work at their place of work.
• Workplace (meeting): Continuing to allow meetings to be held for employees and workers in the government and private sectors who are present at their workplace in the presence of no more than 30 persons who have completed doses of the (Covid-19) vaccine, provided that the rest of the meetings will be (remotely) using modern technical means.
• Rapid test for non-vaccinated: Continuing to oblige all employees and workers in the public and private sectors to conduct a rapid test for the COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test as approved by the Ministry of Public Health, on a weekly basis, for employees and workers who did not receive or complete doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and they are exempted from conducting that examination. Employees and workers who have completed doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and who have recovered from the disease.
• Theatres and cinemas: Continuing to allow the opening of theaters and cinemas and the provision of their services not exceeding (50%) of the capacity, provided that (75%) of the customers who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and allowing the entry of children under 12 years of age and counting them within the (25%) allowed for those who did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
• Museums and libraries: Continuing to allow the opening of museums and public libraries with a full capacity, allowing entry to everyone, whether those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or not, and allowing entry to children.
• Shopping Malls: Continuing to allow the work of commercial complexes with a full capacity, and to allow entry to all, whether those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or not, allow the entry of children, and allow the opening of food courts within the commercial complexes, provided that it does not exceed (50%) of the capacity. To these squares, and allow the opening of mosques, changing rooms and toilets in those complexes, with all shops in those complexes adhering to the maximum number of customers allowed in them, which is determined by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Restaurants: Continuing to allow restaurants and cafes to serve food and beverages according to the following:
  • A full capacity card for restaurants and cafes that have obtained the “Clean Qatar” certificate, and a capacity card not exceeding (50%) for restaurants and cafes that meet the conditions determined by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in open spaces.
  • A capacity card that does not exceed (75%) for restaurants and cafes that have a “Clean Qatar” certificate, and a capacity card that does not exceed (40%) for restaurants and cafes that meet the conditions determined by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, provided that all customers have completed the COVID-19 vaccine doses, and allow entry to children under 12 years of age, accompanied by their families only, in closed spaces.
  • In all cases, all workers in those facilities must be from those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
• Trade-shows, Exhibitions, Conferences and Cultural Events​​​​​​​: Continuing to allow the organization of conferences, exhibitions and events in accordance with the following:
  • A capacity that does not exceed (75%), in open spaces, provided that (90%) of the participants who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with obligating those who did not complete or did not receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by conducting a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test as approved by the Ministry of Public Health, or a PCR examination.
  • A capacity not exceeding (50%), in closed places, provided that among that percentage (90%) of the participants who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with obligating those who did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by conducting a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test as approved by the Ministry of Public Health, or a PCR examination.
  • In all cases, approval from the Ministry of Public Health is required before holding any conference, exhibition or event, and that all organizers and participants in such conferences, exhibitions and events have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine
• Souqs: Continuing to allow popular markets to operate on all days of the week with a full capacity, and to allow children to enter, with all stores in those markets adhering to the maximum number of customers allowed in them, which is determined by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
• Wholesale markets: Continuing the work of wholesale markets with a capacity not exceeding (75%), allowing entry to all, whether those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or not, and allowing the entry of children, with the commitment of all stores in those markets to the maximum number of customers allowed to be present in them, which the Ministry of Commerce and Industry determines, and permitting the holding of auctions in those markets.
• Barbershops and hairdressers: Continuing to allow the opening of beauty and barbershops with a capacity not exceeding (50%), provided that all workers in these facilities and clients have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and allow the entry of children, taking into account that there are no more than two children under 12 years at the same time in those salons.
• Theme parks and leisure centers: Continuing to allow the opening of amusement parks and all entertainment centers according to the following:
  • A capacity not exceeding (75%) in open spaces.
  • A capacity not exceeding (50%) in closed places, provided that (75%) of the customers who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, allow the entry of children under 12 years of age, and count them within the percentage of (25%) allowed for those who did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
  • In all cases, all workers in those facilities must be from those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
• Health clubs, gyms, and spas: Continuing to allow the opening of health clubs, physical training clubs, and massage services, not exceeding (75%) of the capacity, and allowing the opening of changing rooms, showers, jacuzzi services, saunas, steam rooms, Moroccan and Turkish baths, provided that all workers in these facilities and clients have completed vaccine doses.
• Swimming pools and water parks: Continuing to allow the opening of swimming pools and water parks according to the following:
  • A capacity not exceeding (75%) in open spaces.
  • A capacity not exceeding (50%) in closed places, provided that (75%) of the customers who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, allow the entry of children under 12 years of age, and count them within the percentage of (25%) allowed for those who did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
  • In all cases, all workers in those facilities must be from those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
• Cle​aning and Hospitality Services: Continuing to allow cleaning and hospitality companies to provide their services through their employees who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, whether in one or more homes, and allowing cleaning and hospitality services to be provided to the facilities contracting with them during working hours with a full capacity, through their employees who have completed COVID-19 vaccine doses.

COVID-19 precautionary measures with respect to masks

• Obligating all citizens, residents and visitors to wear masks in all closed public places, and not obligating them to wear masks in open public places except in the following cases:
  • Presence within the public activities organized in the markets, exhibitions and during events.
  • Presence on the premises of mosques, schools, universities and hospitals.
  • All workers in establishments, whose nature of work requires being in open spaces and communicating with customers, must wear masks during their work period.

EHTERAZ Application

• Continuing to obligate all citizens, residents and visitors to activate the EHTERAZ application on smart phones when leaving the house for any reason.

Gatherings

• Mosques: Continuing to open mosques to perform daily duties and Friday prayers, and allow children to enter, while adhering to the precautionary measures determined by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, and allowing the opening of toilets and ablution facilities in mosques determined by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.
• Social Gatherings: Continuing to allow social gatherings in homes and councils according to the following:
  • The presence of (30) people, as a maximum, who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, or a maximum of (5) people if all or one of them did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and that is in the places closed homes and councils, with the exception of family members residing in the same house.
  • The presence of (50) people, as a maximum, who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, or a maximum of (10) people if all or one of them did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and that is in the places open in homes and councils, with the exception of family members residing in the same house.
• Weddings: Continuing to allow wedding parties to be held in wedding halls in hotels and independent wedding halls only, and to be present in them according to the following:
  • In the presence of no more than (30%) of the capacity of the closed wedding hall, and a maximum of (150) people, and that the number of people who did not complete or receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine should not exceed (20) people within the percentage or maximum the two mentioned.
  • If there is no more than (50%) of the capacity of the open wedding hall, and a maximum of (300) people, and the number of people who have not completed or received doses of the Covid-19 vaccine should not exceed (50) people within the percentage or maximum. the two mentioned.

Education and Health

• Education and Training Centers: Continuing to allow educational centers and private training centers to provide their services with a capacity not exceeding (75%), and a full capacity if (75%) or more of the total number of trainees who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, provided that all the trainers who start work in these centers are those who have completed doses of the (Covid-19) vaccine, with the trainees who have not completed or did not receive doses of the (Covid-19) vaccine, obligating the rapid test examination for the COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test as approved by the Ministry of Public Health.
• Special Needs Centers: Continuing to allow educational sessions to be held in centers designated for people with special needs, with no more than (5) people in one session, provided that all trainers who start work in those centers are from those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
• Nurseries: Continuing to allow the opening of nurseries and the provision of their services not exceeding (75%) of the capacity, provided that all workers who start work in nurseries are from those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
  
• Private healthcare facilities: Continuing to allow medical services to be provided in private health care facilities with the full capacity of these facilities, provided that all workers who start work in those facilities are those who have completed doses of the (Covid-19) vaccine.

Outdoor and Professional Sports

• Activities in parks, Corniche, and beaches: Continuing to allow gatherings or sitting in public parks, beaches and the Corniche with a maximum of 30 people or family members residing in the same house, allowing to practice individual sports such as walking, running and cycling, allowing the opening of playgrounds and sports equipment in those places, allowing the opening of private beaches with a full capacity, and allowing the opening of toilets in the parks specified by the Ministry of Municipality.

• Professional Sports Training​​​​​​​​​​​​: Continuing to allow professional sports training, whether indoors or outdoors, and to allow preparatory training for local and international tournaments approved by the Ministry of Public Health, and to allow amateur training according to the following:
  • Training of age groups from (18) years and under, with a maximum of (40) people in open spaces and (30) people in enclosed spaces, who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with obligating the trainees who did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, by conducting a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test as approved by the Ministry of Public Health, while allowing the public to attend and not exceeding (30%) of the capacity in closed places, and (50%) of the capacity in open spaces.
  • Training children in private clubs with a maximum of (35) people in open spaces who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and a maximum of (25) people in closed spaces who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with obligating the trainees who did not complete or have not received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by taking the Rapid Antigen test approved by the Ministry of Public Health, with no public attendance allowed.
• Local and International Sporting events: Continuing to allow the organization of local and international sporting events after obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Public Health, and allowing the presence of no more than (75%) of the public’s absorptive capacity in open spaces, provided that they have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and allowing the presence of what is not It exceeds (50%) of the capacity of the public in indoor places, provided that they have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and allow the establishment of local and special sports leagues and tournaments for age groups, and community sports tournaments and activities, after obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Public Health.

Transport

• Continuing to work to oblige all citizens, residents and visitors when leaving and moving for any reason, not to have more than four people in the vehicle, including the driver of the vehicle, with the exception of family members residing in the same house when leaving and moving vehicles.
• Public transport:
  • Continuing to allow people to be transported by bus, not exceeding (75%) of the bus capacity, with taking precautionary measures and measures.
  • Continuing the operation of metro services and public transport services, not exceeding (75%) of the capacity throughout the week, with the continued closure of places designated for smoking, and not allowing food and drink in the aforementioned means of transport.
• Driving schools: Continuing to allow the opening of driving schools and the provision of their services, according to the following:
  • A full capacity capacity if (75%) or more of the total number of trainees have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
  • A capacity not exceeding (75%) if the percentage of trainees who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine is less than (75%) of the total number of trainees.
  • In all cases, all employees who start work in the school must be from those who have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with the obligation of all trainees who have not completed or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, to undergo a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test as certified by the Ministry of Public Health.
• Maritime transport:
  • Continuing to allow the work of chartering services of boats, tourist yachts and pleasure boats, provided that all workers in those boats and yachts have completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and that the number of passengers on those boats and yachts does not exceed (50%) of its capacity and a maximum of (40).
  • A person who has completed doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, while allowing the presence of (5) persons within the mentioned percentage or number of those who did not complete or did not receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, including children, and owners of personal boats and yachts are obligated in case use it in proportion to the number and controls referred to.

RELATED: Here are the latest COVID-19 restrictions in Qatar effective 29 January 2022

Source: QNA, Qatar Cabinet
Cover image credit: Shutterstock

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