File photo used for representation
Doha: Ministries and public institutions support the healthcare community’s work to keep people safe, informed and limit the spread of COVID-19.
Along with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Government Communication Office (GCO) in their social media accounts urge the public to adhere to COVID-19 precautionary measures as a responsibility to keep the community protected.
“Continuous compliance with COVID-19 precautionary and preventive measures is the most important step to curb the spread of coronavirus. Noncompliance with COVID-19 preventive and precautionary measures will lead to the spread of coronavirus. Your alertness ensures your safety,” said MoI insisting the importance to follow precautionary measures and help reduce the increasing number of cases reported daily.
“Any compromise to adhering to safety measures in commercial complexes and public places cause an increase in the spread of infection. Your awareness of preventive measures ensures your safety and of others,” it added.
Qatar, on Thursday, re-imposed a raft of restrictions on education, leisure and business activities, including closing indoor swimming pools and theme parks and restricting restaurant capacities.
Markets and commercial complexes now operate at 50 percent capacity, weddings not held at home are banned, with guests for weddings at home limited to relatives only and nurseries should operate at 30 percent capacity.
Outdoor gatherings in venues such as parks should be limited to 15 people, while indoor gatherings should be no more than five people.
“The State of Qatar has approved a four-tier plan to re-impose COVID-19 restrictions, in order to prevent a second wave and the spread of the new strain in the country,” said GCO in its twitter account.
“Maintaining precautionary measures is a national duty and the responsibility of everyone,” it added.
There are currently more than 6,680 active cases of the virus in Qatar, of which 570 are hospitalised cases and 62 critical cases are in intensive care.
According to the MoPH, most of the infections are attributed to mixing in private places, visits, and family events.
The MoPH has adopted six indicators to measure the extent of the virus spread and take appropriate decisions. According to the indicators, four levels of re-imposition of restrictions will be applied.
“Imposing restrictions is a preemptive step to prevent a second wave and prevent the spread of the new strain in the State of Qatar. It is not clear the size of the second wave, but taking precautionary decisions and community cooperation will curb the intensity of this wave,” said Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19, Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal during a recent press conference.
