Have you missed the most important coronavirus (COVID-19) updates of the week on the coronavirus in Qatar Weekly Update? Every Thursday, we take a moment to bring you all the updates and latest developments in the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in Qatar.
Here's what happened in Week 12. Read below to know more about what's happening in Qatar and how the government is trying to control the situation in Week 13.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has just announced the registration of 1,967 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) bringing the total number of positive cases in Qatar to date to 50,914 and has stated that 2,116 more people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of people that have recovered in Qatar to 15,399. Three new deaths have been recorded bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 33 in Qatar. Over the last 24 hours, 23 people were admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases in intensive care to 214.
The Ministry states that the new cases are due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the MoPH that contributed to early detection of cases. Cases of infection have also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings.
The new confirmed cases of infection have been introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they receive the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families.
The MoPH revealed that infections doubled due to family gatherings and visits between friends and extended families, and people ignoring the preventive measures recommended by the concerned authorities; the most important of which is staying at home and maintaining social distance.
The Ministry stated that the three new deaths recorded today belong to people aged 81, 50 and 25 years, who were suffering from chronic diseases and received treatment in intensive care. The MoPH extends its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the deceased.
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) announced Thursday that the majority of patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Qatar will now be discharged from healthcare facilities 14 days after their first positive swab. This new discharge policy will apply to patients who display no symptoms.
HMC said that the new protocol will see patients follow the instructions provided by medical professionals, including downloading and activating the Ehteraz mobile application. They should also remain in home quarantine not leaving home for any reason for an additional week. Those who violate these directions risk the penalties stated in the law on the prevention of infectious diseases.
HMC noted that many patients have remained in hospital or isolation facilities for longer than 14 days as their discharge required them to have two negative PCR test results before leaving the facility. The new protocol will benefit patients by enabling them to return home and back to normal life as quickly as possible.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has completed its preparation and has taken all precautionary measures to start the examinations of the end of the second semester of the general and specialized Secondary School Certificate for the academic year 2019/2020 on Monday, June 1, 2020, which will continue for two weeks and end on June, 13.
About 11,500 students will take exams this year, spread over 149 sites. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education plans to allocate about 6,100 employees to work as observers and in committees.
The MoPH announced the registration of 1,740 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), and 1,439 new recovered patients in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 13,283. The Ministry also announced two deaths due to the virus. 12 people were admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases in intensive care to 203.
The Ministry stated that the new cases were due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases were identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the MoPH that contributed to early detection of cases.
Cases of infection also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection were introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they received the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
In a series of social media posts, the MoPH shared on their official accounts the testimonies from recovered patients of COVID-19. The recovered patients recounted their experiences while battling the virus and expressed their gratitude to the healthcare workers, frontliners, and the advanced health care system of Qatar.
Below are some of the ways you can support your house staff during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Qatar.
5 ways to support your house staff during COVID-19#YourSafetyIsMySafety #StayAtHome pic.twitter.com/FFPiu5L79m
— مؤسسة الرعاية الصحية الأولية (@PHCCqatar) May 26, 2020
The MoPH announced the registration of 1742 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), and 1481 new recovered cases, bringing the total number of recoveries in Qatar to 11,844. The Ministry also announced two deaths due to the virus. 19 people were admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases in intensive care to 205.
The Ministry stated that the new cases were due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases were identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the moPH that contributed to the early detection of new cases.
Cases of infection also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection were introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they received the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families. The Ministry stated that the two new deaths recorded today belong to people aged 58 and 60 years old, who were suffering from chronic diseases and received treatment in intensive care. The Ministry of Public Health extends its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the deceased.
The MoPH announced the registration of 1751 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), and 1193 new recovered patients, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 10363. The Ministry also announced three deaths due to the virus. 22 people were admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases in intensive care to 202.
The Ministry stated that the new cases were due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases were identified after the MoPH's research and investigation teams conducted investigations that contributed to early detection of cases. Cases of infection also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection were introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they received the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families.
The Ministry stated that the new deaths recorded today belong to people aged 52, 62 and 65 years old who were suffering from chronic diseases and received treatment in intensive care.
Share a Thobe for Mask Making is a joint campaign between The Army of Masks and SustainableQATAR to support people in need during the global pandemic.
The Army of Masks is a grassroots virtual community of volunteers helping Qatar to flatten the curve by sewing and providing Do-It-Yourself (DIY) washable and reusable fabric masks to meet the urgent need for face coverings during COVID-19. Since the Army of Masks was launched on March 20, 2020, it has provided close to 20,000 face masks worldwide to essential workers fighting the pandemic and to communities in dire need.
The Army of Masks works with Doha Stitches, a local sewing and crafting group that creates comfort items for local hospital patients, uses every scrap of the leftover fabric pieces to fill pet beds and gift these to Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS). There is no waste.
The Army of Masks and SustainableQATAR co-created this campaign during the global pandemic drawing on our shared values to become part of the solution. Together we can create and deliver protection for people in need, advancing a circular economy right here in Qatar.
SustainableQATAR is an independent, action-based think and do tank that raises awareness, creates actionable knowledge, and encourages connections and collaboration between individuals and groups for environmental sustainability. The co-creation of this campaign celebrates the sustainability efforts by the Army of Masks and Doha Stitches and is fully aligned with SustainableQATAR’s vision to build an educated, connected and engaged community that contributes to making this world a better place.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues its spread across the world, and Qatar is no exception to this. If you take a closer look at the recent data, you will notice that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise. The MoPH stresses that it is because that the coronavirus outbreak is at the peak stage in Qatar.
A report published by Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, MOPH on 19 May 2020 provides detailed statistics of cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Qatar. In this article, we will shed light on if different age groups and genders are impacted differently by the outbreak.
As you can see in the above chart, 67% of the total infected people are from the age group of 19 to 40 (35% from 31-40 & 32.3% from 19-30), they are both considered as younger age groups but why do we have more cases among them?
According to the population figures of March 2020 by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, 73% of the total population is from the age group 25-64, so it is just a normal result.
Data from May 19th shows 90% of the total infected people are male and this is understandable as 73% of the total population are male in Qatar.
What is interesting in this chart is that the ratio of infected Qataris is Male 58.1% vs. Female 41.9% which is pretty much near while expats' ratio has a great difference as it's 91% Male vs. 9% Female.
The MoPH announced the registration of 1501 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), with 657 patients infected with the virus having recovered, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 9170. The Ministry also announced two deaths due to the virus. 24 people were admitted to intensive care due to the virus, bringing the total number of cases in intensive care to 188 cases.
The Ministry stated that the new cases were due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases were identified after the MopH's research and investigation teams conducted investigations that contributed to early detection of cases.
Cases of infection also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection were introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they received the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case. The Ministry revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families having doubled.
The Ministry stated that the two new deaths were a 66-year-old 53-year-old, both of whom were receiving treatment in intensive care. The MoPH extends its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the two deceased.
As part of the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Qatar, the government issued a range of restrictions to promote physical distancing and help flatten the curve. This includes restricting inbound flights, preventing social gatherings, closing non-essential businesses, suspension of schools, working remotely, and stopping Metro and buses, among others.
As of May 22, Qatar had 32,569 active cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) with 180,642 people tested. The rate of recovery increased, with 7,893 coronavirus (COVID-19) free and fatality count remained low with only 19 deaths. Even though we are still in the peak phase of the pandemic, a lot of people are curious to know when the restrictions will be lifted, especially inbound flights as lots of expats are stuck in their home country.
Although there were no dates mentioned, a report from the Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control of the MoPH outlined the overarching plan of Qatar on easing the social distancing restrictions and reopening the country. This plan may change depending on the circumstances in the following months.
The MoPH announced 1,732 confirmed new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and 620 new recovered cases, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 8,513. The Ministry also announced two deaths due to the virus. 16 new cases were admitted to intensive care due to complications resulting from the infection, bringing the total number of people in intensive care units to 177.
The Ministry stated that the new cases were due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases were identified after the MoPH's research and investigation teams conducted investigations that contributed to early detection of cases.
Cases of infection also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection were introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they received the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families having doubled.
The Ministry stated that the two deaths were a 55-year-old whose condition worsened after several days of illness and the second was a 38-year-old who was suffering from chronic diseases. Both patients were receiving necessary medical care in intensive care. The MoPH extends its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the two deceased.
23 May 2020 01:29 pm Updated On: 23 May 2020 03:35 pm
The Peninsula Qatar reported: The Ministry of Interior has released a statement on the issue of including children in the count of passengers after the cabinet decision to limit the number of people inside a vehicle.
During a show on Qatar TV, Brigadier Abdullah Al Moftah, Director of the Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Interior, answered a question regarding the presence of children in the car in light of the cabinet’s decision to commit all citizens and residents not to have more than two people in the vehicle.
He stated "the children are counted among the passengers, and we are counting on the joint responsibility with the members of the community. The children are supposed to leave only for necessity, such as going to the hospital, for example, and the original principle is not to leave during the current and upcoming period.”
Violators will be apprehended under Law No. 17 of 1999 on prevention of infectious diseases.
The current impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Qatar can be felt by all of us. With travel bans, social gatherings prohibited, and many individuals quarantined - the changes to normal life are considerable.
In line with this, the Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) launched its COVID-19 Mobility Analytics report which provides insight into movement and mobility behavior in Qatar since the beginning of the pandemic till the first week of May 2020. The report is based on the unique and rich traffic data bank produced by QMIC’s Advanced Traffic Monitoring & Analytics Platform (MasarakTM) which collects data on a daily basis about mobility behavior in Qatar.
QMIC plans to update its mobility report on a weekly basis starting on the 2nd half of May in order to track weekly trends and changes in mobility behavior. It's worth noting that QMIC is the first independent innovation center in the region with a focus on developing and deploying smart mobility systems and services.
Read on further below to discover the impact of COVID-19 on mobility behavior in Qatar.
Qatar reported the first case of the novel coronavirus on 29 February 2020. Since then, restrictions on movement were implemented gradually. For example, nationwide closure of schools came into effect on March 10 and the ban on serving food in restaurants and cafes, allowing only delivery services and takeaway was implemented on March 15.
Implementing strict measures to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19 has led to a noticeable reduction in congestion. QMIC's index shows congestion severity was 1.8% in the first week of March and 11.6% in the second week of the same month.
Weekly congestion level dropped significantly by 55-66% since late March, with the biggest drop of 66% noticed in the first week of May.
Another consequence of confinement is a significant reduction in city outdoor activity. Weekly outdoor mobility activity dropped by about 45% in late March to late April, however, the level of activity increased towards the end of April and in early May during Ramadan.
The weekly number of car trips dropped by about 50% in late March to mid-April, however, the level of activity increased in late April and early May which coincides with Ramadan.
Since 9 March 2020, entry to Qatar had temporarily suspended for all those intending to travel from certain countries. The Hamad International Airport (HIA) now remains open on a scaled-down basis. Currently, entry to Qatar is only permitted to Qatari nationals and holders of a permanent residence permit. Departing and transit passengers with onward connections are also allowed at HIA provided their destination country does not have any travel restrictions.
All these measures led to a dramatic decrease in air traffic as weekly trip activities to/from Hamad International Airport started to drop noticeably since early March reaching a steady weekly reduction of 80% since early April, as per the QMIC report.
The MoPH announced 1830 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), with 605 people having recovered from the disease. This brought the total number of recovery cases in Qatar to 7893 cases. In addition, two people sadly died from the virus. 13 new cases were admitted to intensive care due to complications resulting from the infection, bringing the total number of people currently in intensive care units to 175. The Ministry stated that the new cases are due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the Ministry of Public Health that contributed to early detection of cases.
Cases of infection have also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection have been introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they receive the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case. The Ministry revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families having doubled.
The Ministry states that the two new deaths were of a 50 year-old and a 43 year year-old, both of whom were receiving treatment in intensive care. The Ministry of Public Health extends its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the two patients.
21 May 2020 07:52 pm
H.E. Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, has stressed the importance of staying at home during the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr and following the recommended measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
In a message to the public, H.E. Dr. Al Kuwari said "Throughout this month the number of new cases has gradually risen and we are now entering the peak stage of COVID-19 in Qatar. With greater numbers of people testing positive for the virus it is now as important as ever for people to follow preventive measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19."
"Eid is traditionally a time of year when we socialize and celebrate with family and friends, but this year must be different. This Eid, it is really important that you stay at home and only go out when it is absolutely necessary. We all have a role to play in successfully overcoming this pandemic and throughout the last few months the majority of citizens and residents of Qatar have responded magnificently. It is especially tempting during Eid to visit friends and family, but I ask you to please continue following social and physical distancing measures to help us get through this challenging time," added H.E. Dr. Al Kuwari.
The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) confirmed that the decision of, temporarily, closing mosques and suspending congressional prayers as part of the precautionary and preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), also applies to Eid Al-Fitr prayers for the year 1441 AH.
In a statement, the ministry said that based on the previous statement issued by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs on April 22, 2020, which was implemented in order to strengthen the preventive measures and precautionary measures taken by the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, regarding the continued closure of mosques and the suspension of congregational prayers, until the safety and tranquility of the worshipers are met, we confirm that the decision also applies to Eid Al-Fitr prayers for the year 1441 AH.
The MoPH announced the registration of 1,554 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 and 688 new recovered cases, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 7,288. The Ministry also announced one new death from the virus. 24 new cases were admitted to intensive care due to complications resulting from the infection, bringing the total number of people in intensive care units to 171.
The Ministry stated that the new cases were due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases were identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the MoPH that contributed to early detection of cases.
Cases of infection increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings. The new confirmed cases of infection were introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they received the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry reported that the new death was of an 81-year-old resident who was receiving the necessary medical care in intensive care. The MoPH offered sincere condolences and great sympathy to the family of the deceased.
HMC National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) has urged patients with cancer to take extra precautions to limit their exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19), stressing that it is committed to treating all radiotherapy patients effectively and in a safe manner.
Patients with cancer are urged to take additional prevention measures to avoid contracting coronavirus (COVID-19) as even a mild illness associated with the virus could cause serious complications, due to cancer patients already having a weakened immune system. They are advised to avoid contact with individuals who are sick and to strictly adhere to hand hygiene and social distancing measures.
When do you think this coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Qatar will end? What are you doing to flatten the curve? Are you following all the SOPs? Do let us know your thoughts in our Comments section. Like and share the article - it keeps us going!
Follow us on our social media channels:
@ILQlive
@ILQlive
@ILoveQtr
ILoveQatar
You have successfully registered your account!
Please confirm your e-mail address by clicking on the URL sent to you.The e-mail usually arrives in 5-10 minutes.
How ajeeb was that!? Thanks for contributing to our community! Your post will appear after we take a quick look!
