Tougher restrictions have been put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country, but cases have increased to 10,000.
The number of active Covid-19 cases in Qatar surpassed 10,000 on Wednesday – the highest since early July and marking an 800% rise in the last three months.
Throughout February, health authorities reported around 400+ cases daily, raising major concerns over the possibility of a second wave. According to the latest Ministry of Public Health figures on Wednesday, 471 new positive infections were reported, bumping the number of current active cases to 10,059.
Last month, the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management imposed new health and safety restrictions earlier to contain the virus after a surge in cases was recorded.
This included restricting the number of those in the workplace to 80%, closing children’s playgrounds and indoor amusement parks, limiting the capacity of indoor sports and fitness areas such as gyms, and banning indoor weddings (unless held at home) while restricting the number of attendees of at home weddings, both indoor and outdoor, to 10 and 15 respectively.
If the number continues to increase, further restrictions can be expected to flatten the curve.
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has also tightened inspections to monitor whether precautionary measures were being followed, with a notable increase in those booked for violating the rules. Dozens of businesses have also been shut down for not enforcing the regulations.
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Meanwhile, Qatar’s inoculation drive is ongoing, with health officials on Wednesday confirming more than 60% of those aged 70 or over received at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.
Last week, the Primary Health Care Corporation [PHCC] began administering the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at three different health centres.
The Moderna vaccine, the second in the country after the joint Pfizer-BioNTech doses, is now available at the Al Wajba, Lebaib, and Thumama health centres.
To step up vaccination efforts, a new Covid-19 centre was opened at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) last month. The centre focuses on vaccinating teachers and school administrative staff during its initial stages and will move on to other segments of society in coming weeks.
Earlier this week, authorities also launched a new Covid-19 drive-thru vaccination centre n Lusail for patients needing the second dose of the vaccine.
The correct date to receive the second dose is specified on the vaccination card given to patients during the first appointment.
The centre will be operating daily from 11am till 10pm, though the last entrance to get vaccinated is 9pm.
Those eligible for the second dose must show their QID, health card, vaccination card, green status on Ehteraz and abide by mandatory mask rules.
According to the most recent figures from February, more than 100,000 people have been vaccinated in Qatar since the inoculation drive was first launched, though some have complained over the perceived slow-paced administering of vaccines, especially when compared to neighbouring countries.
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