No more Ehteraz or mask wearing across Qatar, the cabinet has announced.
Qatar’s cabinet has reviewed the Ministry of Public Health’s report on the latest updates regarding Covid-19 and decided to revise its previous decision from the 37th regular meeting held on October 26, 2022, by lifting all restrictions that were previously imposed.
As per the new regulation, the only exception is that it will still be mandatory for all citizens, residents and visitors to wear face masks while inside health facilities.
This means that Ehteraz and Covid-19 testing are no longer mandatory across Qatar. Social distancing and face masks are also not required except in health facilities to ensure the safety of all patients.
Additionally, the approval has been given for the launch of the Government Excellence Award, which has been designed to improve the standard of government performance, elevate the level of government services, and foster a sense of competition among government organisations to strive for quality, progress and excellence.
The decisions were made at the cabinet’s regular meeting, which was held on Wednesday at the Amiri Diwan, chaired by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
After the meeting, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs released a statement in which they praised the speech delivered by the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5).
Qatar’s amir had urged developed countries to fulfil their ‘moral responsibility’ to aid the LDCs while also calling on the least developed countries to adopt sensible economic development policies.
The cabinet agreed that amir’s appeal for international solidarity to create a safer, more just, and free world was in line with Qatar’s foreign policy principles of dialogue, cooperation, and development, as well as the realisation of people’s aspirations and respect for their rights.
They further expressed their admiration for the Gulf nation’s hosting of LDC5, which has attracted a diverse and distinguished range of participants, as well as the election of the amir as its president.
The cabinet viewed this as a reflection of the international community’s trust in Qatar and its valuable contributions at the regional and global levels.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Sheikh Tamim for his trust in appointing them to his new position, further acknowledging the contributions of former prime minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani in serving the nation.
Qatar’s new prime minister then issued a directive to all ministers to strive for excellence in delivering services and performance within government agencies, with particular emphasis on the health and education sectors.
He called for concerted efforts to stimulate economic growth, facilitate service provision to citizens and residents, and cultivate a spirit of unity among team members.
