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Schools in Qatar opened yesterday for the new academic year 2021-22 following blended learning system with 50% of the students attending the classes physically on campus, on a rotation basis. Each student has to attend campus classes for five days in two weeks. Strict Covid-19 preventive and precautionary measures are in place at all schools to prevent the spread of the virus. All government and private schools received students at their campuses on Sunday. Most schools reported a good number of students on the campus on the first day of the academic year. Both the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as well as the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) have adopted a number of measures to protect the children from Covid-19 and for the smooth conduct of the teaching and learning process. MoPH has also issued a number of guidelines highlighting the need to enhance the efforts to fight the pandemic, especially on the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year. In a video message on social media channels, Dr Layla al-Dahnaim, community medicine consultant and the manager of School Health said that several precautionary measures have been taken to ensure the safe return of students to schools which will enhance the efforts to combat Covid-19. “The School Health Department has launched the ‘Back to School Campaign’ in every public school under the theme ‘A safe return to school challenging Covid-19,’ said al-Dahnaim. “We will highlight the most common communicable and infectious diseases among students and how to combat and prevent them, including Covid-19, chickenpox, influenza, lice, infection of the hands, feet, mouth and scabies,” she said. “This aims at improving and supporting students’ health and provide them with all preventive measures against the spread of diseases among them,” she continued. Dr al-Dahnaim also said that many activities and educational lectures are being launched to enhance the health awareness of students about the most common diseases. “This includes how to follow the most important ways of disease prevention in their environment whether at home, school or public places by preparing flyers, educational messages, colouring books and informative posters,” she explained. Dr al-Dahnaim noted that parents also will be involved in the campaign and will receive educational and informative messages on a regular basis. “We would like to emphasise the role of parents in preparing their children to return to school. They must ensure an early bed time, maintain a healthy diet and educate children about preventive measures. They should visit the health centres if the children feel sick,” the official added.    

Staff Reporter     Fawzia Abdulaziz al-Khater: the ministry has put in place measures in preparation for the new school year.   • Education ministry ensures safe and healthy school environment The new academic year begins in Qatar today with the blended learning system in place, and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has ensured a safe and healthy school environment for all concerned. Under the blended learning system, 50% of students will be in the classroom and 50% will attend lessons remotely, and this will be done on a rotational basis. While some private schools have been imparting lessons since Tuesday, others will do so from today, along with government schools. The fast and effective rollout of coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines has helped the country resume academic sessions with on-campus learning at 50%. While 93.7% of the eligible population having received at least one dose of vaccine, it was recently reported that seven out of 10 children in Qatar aged 12-17 have already received at least one vaccine dose, with no major side effects reported. The MoEHE, in collaboration of Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), has finalised arrangements to receive students under strict Covid-19 precautionary and preventative measures. It has been ensured that all the Covid-19 protocols will be in place, and the authorities issued the necessary guidelines a few days ago for the smooth functioning of schools. The MoEHE has also announced the bubble arrangement in schools, which can act as an effective preventative measure to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 within schools. In a press statement yesterday, the MoEHE’s assistant undersecretary for Educational Affairs, Fawzia Abdulaziz al-Khater, underlined that the ministry would continue to apply the blended learning system in government schools for the 2021/2022 academic year, in addition to the adoption of the rotating attendance system across all academic levels in schools, following co-ordination and consultation with the MoPH in light of the analysis of the current situation and the Covid-19 rate of infection in the country, and upon reviewing the procedures followed by other countries in this regard. She confirmed that the Educational Affairs Sector at the MoEHE has planned and implemented a package of targeted measures in preparation for the new academic year, ensuring an effective kick-off across all grade levels in a healthy and safe school environment. Al-Khater added that blended learning involves face-to-face learning and online learning using Microsoft Teams, in line with the rotation plan set by the school. However, the official said, in low-density schools in remote areas and low-density specialised schools, as well as speciality schools for students with disabilities, all students will be attending, with 100% face-to-face learning. She said the ministry has put in place several measures in preparation for the new school year, including the need for school administrations to adhere to precautionary measures to ensure the safety of students and staff in schools, and the need for having nursing staff on the school premises on a daily basis. The measures include educating new students and parents about the school policy in dealing with and preventing the spread of Covid-19. In addition, all visitors and employees must show the Ehteraz application and have their temperature checked before entering the school premises. Further, any Covid-19 infections must be reported immediately to the MoPH and MoEHE, and in case of an increased number of Covid-19 cases reported, the respective school or kindergarten will have to switch to 100% online learning, with the approval of the Ministry of Public Health and following the notification of the School Affairs Department. Schools are also required to commit to the circulars issued by the relevant authorities, she added. According to Circular No 16/2020, students must attend class on five days in every two consecutive weeks, while teachers must teach 30 lessons per week across all grades. School hours will be from 7.15am-12.30pm, with six 45-minute lessons per day, and a 25-minute recess. Al-Khater added: “Children in kindergartens will attend at a rate of 50% for the 2021/2022 academic year.” “The Ministry of Education has issued guidelines for face-to-face and online learning in kindergartens with a maximum 15 students per classroom, with the need to utilise the school theatre and sports halls as classrooms to maintain social distancing,” she added. “Kindergartens need to communicate with parents, informing them of their children’s rotation schedules.” “In addition, morning assemblies, group activities such as excursions, camps and celebrations are to be cancelled and organised virtually where applicable,” she said. The official noted that the MoEHE would issue a detailed package of circulars and instructions for schools to organise the blended learning and rotation attendance systems, including student attendance rates in the school building, student rotation schedules, staff working hours, the number of lessons per week and school hours, Qatar News Agency (QNA) added. On academic requirements for the new academic year, al-Khater confirmed that the competent departments in the Educational Affairs Sector prepared modified semester plans for subjects for all levels and provided interactive educational units in order to support distance learning for the students, in addition to producing awareness videos in sign language for deaf students and providing electronic learning resources for all subjects and grades, according to QNA. She noted the measures adopted for students with disabilities, stressing in this context co-ordination regarding the registration and transfer of students with disabilities in schools and the preparation of the necessary instructions for school administrations and their educational staff to ensure the provision of special education services in the required form, in addition to listing the needs of schools and students for the necessary tools, equipment and educational and technological resources. Al-Khater congratulated school principals, administrative and teaching staff, students and parents on the occasion of the start of the new academic year, calling on students to benefit from the opportunities and the unlimited support provided by the wise leadership for the education system. Meanwhile, Indian schools – which cater to the largest expatriate community in the country – are set to open their doors to students with strict Covid-19 measures in place. While classes resumed at MES Indian School last week for the ongoing academic year with the 50% blended learning system, Ideal Indian School opened with online classes. Lessons in other schools will resume today following instructions from the MoEHE.   Learning resources Regarding the activation of learning resource centres in schools during the application of the blended learning system, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE)’s assistant undersecretary for Educational Affairs Fawzia Abdulaziz al-Khater noted that guidelines have been provided in order to facilitate the work of learning resource officials in activating learning resource centres for students during distance study, in addition to preparing a work agenda that includes the most prominent programmes and activities of the learning resource centres for the year 2021-2022, according to Qatar News Agency. She highlighted preparations and directives to limit and compensate for learning loss among students, stressing that the Educational Affairs Sector is keen to limit the learning loss in learning that resulted from the application of blended learning or distance learning, in terms of knowledge and practical, applied and intellectual skills in all age stages. The competent departments provided schools with the proposed tools and strategies to identify learning loss, such as direct monitoring and diagnostic evaluation, using evaluation methods and tools that reveal learning loss among students. Al-Khater noted that the issues of learning loss were also taken into account in the semester plans, and schools were directed to prepare and implement plans to bridge the gap based on students’ results in diagnostic tests, and to provide reinforcement lessons to students in some educational subjects, in addition to creating special learning teams on the MS Teams platform for some categories taking into account individual differences. The Sector has prepared a plan to supervise the compensation of educational losses for students in all schools.

College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) is developing a five-year research strategy to meet the country's needs, disclosed president Dr Salem Al-Naemi. “We are developing a five-year research matrix for the future. This will hopefully be announced with the launch of the university. Our research strategy is well aligned with the research priorities of the country,” he told Gulf Times. “We do have some research programmes in the pipeline in the national priority areas such as sustainability, food security among others. The five year research plan is the continuation of the several research programmes that are going on in the college. However, we will expand the scope of some of the research. Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) has set certain research priorities for the country and our research areas are aligned with these priorities,” he explained. Dr Al-Naemi said: "We do have several research programmes going on and most of them are funded by QNRF. We have a spectrum of research such as in energy and we work with Shell, Qatar Gas and Qatar Petroleum in some of these projects. We have some very good research in healthcare as well as in environment and sustainability,” CNA-Q president said that the college will be really emphasising on research. "We are an applied technology institute with strong relations with several partners in different industries such as energy, health and financial industry as well as other organisations in the private sector. Therefore, we want to tap and develop our research plan according to the needs of these industries. This will enrich and bring opportunities for our faculty and the students will be very much engaged on the research. When they graduate, they will have very strong relations with the industry they will be serving,” he noted. Dr Al-Naemi remarked that the college is re-engineering its strategy as it is getting ready to transition to a university. “We are developing a strategy to align with university goals and objectives to be a major pillar for the nation. We are looking at providing the best education and learning, curriculum and services on par with any other university nationally and internationally. We are working on it and will be implementing it with the announcement of the launch of the university,” he said. Dr Al-Naemi said that the college plans to nurture the alumni and train them to be part of the academic staff. "We aim to attract our graduates or other graduates in applied majors and we are planning to work with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to send them abroad for further specialised studies. Hopefully, they will be part of our academic community in the future. We currently have highly qualified teaching faculty from around the world and they will be able to cover the newly introduced programmes successfully. Presently the college has a total of 288 academic staff, including instructors, deans, and chairs." he said. The president also stressed that the college wants to build on the existing engagement with the community at large. “We want to develop a much stronger engagement with the community and be a centric service provider for the community not just in education but also in cultural and sports fields. We want to collaborate with national and international universities in higher education and specifically in applied education. We aim to be ranked top among the young universities in applied university category and will be working hard to reach the milestone. We are open for collaboration and in talks with some universities in the US, Europe and India in areas such as exchange of faculty and students, joint research and learn from the programmes of other universities,” said Dr Al-Naemi.    

With its student population set to cross 5,000 this Fall Semester starting from August 29, College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) is gearing up for a huge transformation as it will soon be the first applied university in Qatar, said CNA-Q president Dr Salem Al-Naemi in an exclusive interview with Gulf Times. “As I understand, the Cabinet has recommended the draft for changing CNA-Q to a national university. Once the decree is signed, we will become officially a university and only then we can reveal the actual name and the new identity. We are waiting for the approval and we hope the decision will be sooner than later,” said Dr Al-Naemi. “We hope that the college will soon be recognised as a university and the faculty, students, alumni among others are eagerly waiting for the moment. We hope that the moment is not far away and meanwhile, we continue our business as usual,” he said. Dr Al-Naemi, the sixth president of CNA-Q, noted that there is a great demand for the programmes of the college and the demand for the newly launched graduate programmes this year, have exceeded the expectations. “Last year, the college announced three bachelor's degrees and there was great demand for the programmes. This year we are offering about 20 new programmes. Seventeen of them are bachelor's programmes and three of them are master's. For the first time we are offering master's programmes. The demand for master's programmes is very high and the number of applicants are almost double or above. With all these programmes, we will have over 5,000 students from this Fall Semester,” explained Dr Al-Naemi. The president said that the college offers over 50 different programmes including master's, bachelor's, diploma and certificate. “The three new master’s programmes are from the School of Health Sciences and from the School of Business and Information Technology. Each master’s programme will have 15 students each and the demand is so high that we have to go through a strict and rigourous screening programme. The admission criteria consist of interview and language proficiency in English among others. The master’s programmes in pharmacy and radiography are particularly in very high demand,” he pointed out. According to Dr Al-Naemi, CNA-Q, over the last 20 years, has graduated over 7,000 graduates who play a major role in the nation-building process of Qatar. “CNA-Q has adopted a curriculum that is aligned with skills and knowledge required worldwide. Our alumni, both nationals and expatriates, are very well contributing rich knowledge to the industry and they are with both the government and private sector. Some of them are working in their own countries either running their business or working, while majority are working in Qatar. Most of them are working in the energy industry, health sector or the IT sector,” he said. As for expanding the programmes of the institute, the president said that it is done according to the needs of the country and the industries. He said: “We are very much aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030 and mindful of the national requirements. We really design and align our curriculum for our graduates to be market ready. While we are focusing on the applied and technical programmes, many of our programmes have social or community service elements embedded in them, especially in the health science programmes.” As CNA-Q is an applied technical college, Dr Al-Naemi noted that it is very important to have physical classes for the students for hands on experience. "There are several programmes that need the presence of students in the college. For this academic year, we are planning for blended learning with 50% capacity of student population on campus. We will allow the most required students for on campus learning such as students of Schools of Health Sciences, Engineering as well as some students of Information Technology.” “The rest will be taught online and all the exams will be on campus. We are committed to observe all the Covid-19 protocols and follow the directions of the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Over 95% of our staff are vaccinated and we have taken all the measures to face the Covid-19 situation,” added Dr Al-Naemi.    

There is no way to distinguish whether an idea is good or bad until it is tried, noted, the co-founder Netflix at an event by Qatar Foundation on Monday. “What I have learned as an entrepreneur over 40 years is that it is almost impossible to tell whether an idea is a good idea or bad idea. The only way to know whether it is good or bad, is to try it. It is a dangerous fallacy to think that you are looking for a good idea because the only thing you are doing is valuating it in your mind and of course in your mind every idea is a great one,” said, Marc Randolph, the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix at the latest edition of the Education City Speaker Series. “Successful entrepreneurs do more and think less – when an idea pops into their head, they don’t think of whether it’s good or bad, these people quickly execute it,” he continued. In the virtual talk, titled 'Don’t Let Dreams Be Dreams: What to Do With an Idea' and themed around innovation and entrepreneurship, coupled with sustainability, Randolph shared lessons from his journey at what is now the world’s largest streaming service with audiences, as he discussed ways to foster a startup culture and entrepreneurial mindsets. Shaping a post-pandemic future is bringing great opportunities for startups across the world and has created, “the most exciting thing we have seen in a long, long time” for entrepreneurs, Randolph, told at the event. He highlighted, “Entering into a world with tremendous uncertainty is, in my opinion, the most exciting thing we have seen in a long, long time for entrepreneurship. Everything is now up for grabs, everything is going to be done differently, and the people prepared to take advantage of that are the people who have an entrepreneurial mindset. And I think the change we will see will be driven by new business formation.” Interacting with the moderator, Agata Braja, Randolph recounted his journey at Netflix – of how the idea emerged, and what it took to become the streaming service that it is today – saying: “The idea of Netflix came over a long period of time. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and I brainstormed hundreds of ideas such as personalised shampoo among others before settling into an idea of a DVD rental service.” Focusing on how to prepare startups for a post-pandemic world, Randolph said, “The worst thing for any entrepreneur is status quo” – meaning taking for granted that if something worked in the past, it will continue to work in the future." “Before Covid-19, we had a world where very, very large companies operated in an incredibly predictable and dependable way,” he explained. “They could see their sales and revenue for 8-12 quarters into the future. Then along comes a world where, all of a sudden, everything is changing. “We all know that, eventually, things will go back to normal, but nobody knows what that normal will look like. There has been an incredible acceleration of e-commerce and mobile medicine, but what’s going to happen in 12 months’ time? Nobody knows whether it will stay the same or go back, and that is the most wonderful circumstance for entrepreneurs who have trained themselves not to predict the future, but to be ready for whatever the future happens to bring them." Randolph advised the entrepreneurs to think how to build a business that is relevant today, and one that will still be relevant when the world changes. “Don’t fall in love with the idea. Fall in love with the problem,” he added.    

Indian community forum Punarjani Qatar recently repatriated four low income workers who were undergoing treatment at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hospitals. Rashid Qassim, 38, hailing from Alappuzha district, Kerala, was hospitalised after a stroke left him paralysed. He was later shifted to Enaya for long term treatment and received excellent care. Punarjani made arrangements for his travel with a supporting staff nurse and respiratory technician for ventilator. The forum also facilitated an emergency passport, financial help and ambulance service from Kochi Airport to a hospital. Qassim was received by his father and other family members at Kochi airport. Nandnanan Ponoly Velayudhan, a 59-year- old from Kodakara, Thrissur district of Kerala was repatriated by Punarjani. Velayudhan was hospitalised in Qatar in January 2021 with health complications including diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. After initial treatment he was shifted to Rumailah Hospital. As his passport was missing, Punarjani arranged an Emergency Certificate and other required documentation for repatriation to India. Also arrangements were made for his transportation, accompanying person, ambulatory services from Kochi airport to his home at Kodakara. The third person to be helped by Punarjani was Ajith Perumal, a 33-year-old from Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. He had suffered injuries to his head and legs after a fall at his accommodation. After a few weeks of treatment at a HMC hospital, Perumal decided to go to India for further care. Punarjani arranged a ticket and wheelchair and his relative Jeevanathan accompanied him. Nandu Gupta, from Gopalganj district in Bihar, was the fourth person repatriated by Punjarjani. He was suffering from epilepsy, tuberculous, meningitis and other diseases. The forum identified a hospital in Gorakhpur, received an acceptance letter for his treatment for two weeks and he will later to be shifted to his own residence. Punarjani made all arrangements for his departure to his native place for further treatment.    

The Indian embassy on Sunday launched a number of new initiatives for the community during the 75th Independence Day celebrations. Speaking at the event, India’s ambassador to Qatar Dr Deepak Mittal said that the initiatives will help to better connect the embassy with community members. “This includes the soft launch of Pravasi Bhartiya Sahayta Kendra (PBSK), a helpline for the members to connect with the embassy,” he said. “We are also launching a mobile app service for the community members to interact with the embassy smoothly.” “Another initiative is 'Bridging Generations', a conversation with the pioneers of Indian community here in Qatar,” Dr Mittal added. “It is also an occasion to distribute ICBF Group Insurance scheme to 75 workers.” Giving the details of the mobile app as well as PBSK, the embassy’s first secretary for Consular & Community Affairs Xavier Dhanaraj said that the new services will help the community to reach out to the embassy easily and faster. “The PHSK number is 44953500, and people can also send e-mail to [email protected]. The helpline is presently available in Hindi, Malayalam, and English from 8am-5pm,” he said. “Starting from October 2, live chat, WhatsApp services will be made available. More languages will be added soon to the service,” Dhanaraj added. “The mobile application – India in Qatar App – has several features that will help the community to avail the embassy services faster and smoother,” he said. “It helps the community to avail the online services, as well as regular services.” “There is also a separate tab for healthcare workers,” Dhanaraj continued. “People also can submit suggestions through the app.” During the event, a new initiative named “Bridging Generations” was launched. “Bridging Generations” is a conversation between the pioneers of the Indian community in Qatar, who were here in the 1950s, 60,s and 70s, and the younger members of the community.    

The Indian community in Qatar celebrated their nation's 75th Independence Day with ceremonies at various locations, including at the embassy and a number of schools. At the embassy, India’s ambassador to Qatar Dr Deepak Mittal unfurled the Indian flag in the presence of community leaders and members. He paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi before the formal event started. During the event, Qatar's former deputy prime minister and minister of energy HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, congratulated Indians in a video message on the occasion, and expressed appreciation for the hard work and dedication of Indian community in Qatar. Following the national anthem, Dr Mittal read excerpts from the message of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, who congratulated fellow Indians as “it marks the beginning of the 75th year of India’s independence for which ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is being celebrated”. In the message, the president said: “Independence Day is a festival of freedom for us. This was made possible by generations of freedom fighters; some known, many unknown.” “They made great sacrifices. Today, you and I breathe under free skies thanks to their heroic deeds,” he added. “I bow in respect to the pious memory of those brave martyrs.” “Our nation, like many others, suffered great injustices and tyranny under foreign rule. What distinguishes India, however, is that the character of our nationalist movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was based on the principles of truth and non-violence,” Kovind said. “He and all other national heroes provided us with an invaluable blueprint to not only liberate the nation from colonial rule, but also to rebuild it.” “Gandhiji’s struggle was for a return to Indian ethos and for human dignity,” he added. The Indian envoy, speaking at the event, highlighted the spirit of the freedom struggle and appealed to the Indian community to take the spirit to higher levels, even while away from the homeland. “Think (about it) … in 25 years, when India will be celebrating the 100th Independence Day. We all can contribute to the betterment of the community, wherever we are,” Dr Mittal said. “For Qatar and India, the environment is a priority, and we can emulate the principles of ‘Swatch Bharat Abyan’ here in Qatar by taking part in all the environmental activities in the country.” He also spoke about the activities carried out by various bodies under the embassy, and how their efforts have bolstered India’s reputation. “The leadership of Qatar has high regards for the Indian community, and they always appreciate the efforts of the community,” the envoy said. “This is a fitting tribute for the hard work of our community.” Dr Mittal also announced a number of new initiatives for members of the community to bring them closer to the embassy. During the event, the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) handed over 75 insurance schemes to beneficiaries. The ambassador also launched a new initiative – “Bridging Generations” – a programme narrating the experiences of the pioneers of the Indian community in Qatar, who were here in the 1950s, 60,s and 70s, and connecting them with the younger members of the community. Dr Mohan Thomas, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award winner 2021 from Qatar shared his Independence Day thoughts with *Gulf Times. He said: “As we celebrate the 75 years of freedom, we should take a moment to look back and reflect on the path our nation had travelled, becoming the forerunner that it is today and the innumerable achievements our country has made in the international scenario.” “We have made a mark for ourselves in the world and are definitely proud of it,” Dr Thomas said. “India will soon emerge in the forefront as one of the most developed nations of the world.” The event concluded with cultural programmes presented by Indian organisations.    

With Qatar Wednesday crossing the 4mn vaccine doses milestone against Covid-19, healthcare officials are urging those yet to be vaccinated to go for it at the earliest, especially some of the vulnerable groups. As of Wednesday, 4,012,536 doses of vaccine have been given since the start of the National Vaccination Campaign which was launched on December 23, 2020. The Ministry of public Health announced that a “Significant milestone reached for the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme as the total number of doses administered passes 4 million.” A total of 21,570 doses were provided in the last 24 hours. With this 88.8% of the eligible population - 12 years and above - has received at least one dose of the vaccine, taking the vaccinated to 77% of the total population. The Ministry also urged everyone to get vaccinated at the earliest. “Thank you everyone who has taken the vaccine. If you have not yet been vaccinated, act now to protect yourself, your family and help us return to normal life. Book your vaccination appointment today,” said the MoPH message. Meanwhile Dr Najat Khenyab, National Health Strategy 2018-2022 Lead for Healthy Women Leading to Healthy Pregnancies, in a video message motivated the pregnant to get vaccinated at the earliest. Dr Khenyab noted: “ The WHO guidelines suggest that pregnant women are at higher risk of complications from the Covid virus than other women of their age. Around the world, thousands of pregnant women have taken the vaccine mainly with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and so far no serious side effects have been reported.” “With delta variant now identified in Qatar and around the world, it is more important than ever for pregnant women to get vaccinated This variant is fast transmittable and causes more severe symptoms on those affected. So vaccination is very important for pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies, “explained, Dr Khenyab “So act now and book an appointment soon to receive Covid-19 vaccine to protect yourselves and your unborn babies from severe illness from Covid-19,” she added.    

Qatar is poised to cross a milestone of administering 4mn doses of Covid-19 vaccine today as the country has given a total of 3,990,966 doses as of Tuesday. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in its daily bulletin noted that 26,431 doses of vaccine have been given in the last 24 hours taking the total number of doses since the start of the campaign to just about 9,044 short of the 4mn mark. The MoPH yesterday announced that 88.3% of the eligible population has received at least one dose of vaccine. This amounts to 76.6% of the total population of the country. With the current vaccination figures, Qatar is among the leading countries in terms of vaccinating the largest percentage of the total population. The healthcare leaders are urging every eligible person to get vaccinated at the earliest with the detection of the delta variant in the country. They have also urged those who have not yet been vaccinated to go for inoculation immediately, especially the vulnerable population such as the elderly above 65, pregnant women and children aged 12-15. They have noted that these categories of people are likely to face more complications if they are affected by the virus. Though children may not face such complications, they might face long period of illness and they are likely to transmit the virus to others. The head of vaccination at MoPH, Dr Soha al- Bayat had recently said, that the vaccination campaign is focusing more on these groups as the first two groups of people can develop more complications from the virus and the children can transmit the disease faster. Earlier this week, Dr Yousef al-Maslamani, medical director of Hamad General Hospital, through a video message on the MOPH social media channel said, “ With the Covid-19 delta variant now in Qatar, like most countries around the world, it is more important than ever to get vaccinated. This variant is very contagious and spreads fast. We have vaccines which are very safe and highly effective against such variants. Therefore, it is more important than ever to get vaccinated. Your support is important, and it makes us all safe if everyone gets vaccinated at the earliest.”    

Prominent Qatar resident and leading ENT specialist Dr Mohan Thomas was presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2021 at a glittering function yesterday at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC). Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal along with Qatar's former Prime Minister and Interior Minister HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani presented Dr Thomas with the award. Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah and Qatar Airways Group CEO HE Akbar al-Baker congratulated Dr Thomas through video messages screened at the function. The event was attended by a number of Qatari dignitaries who included HE Mohamed al-Rumaihi, Former Minister of Municipality and Environment; Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani, advisor in the Amiri Diwan; Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of Public Health at the Ministry of Public Health; Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, former deputy director of the Traffic Department; Major Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah al-Thani, Traffic Department; and Salem al-Jaber, former ambassador to South Africa. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest civilian award given to non- resident Indians who have made significant contribution towards better understanding of India abroad, philanthropic and charitable work, eminence in one’s field of work, welfare of local Indian community among others. The award is generally presented by the President of India on the occasion of Pravasi Divas. However, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, the award ceremony this year was held virtually on January 9. Accepting the award, Dr Thomas said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled by this award. I dedicate this award to the Indian community in Qatar as well as to my Qatari friends who were instrumental in helping me carry out several activities here in Qatar and back in India. While this award recognises my activities, it would not have been possible without the great support I received from the Indian community, Indian embassy as well as the Qatari leadership and I am immensely indebted to all of them.” Several Indian community leaders were also present on the occasion. They included some of the recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in the previous years. Dr Thomas is the 6th recipient of the award from Qatar. Speaking at the event, Dr Mittal highlighted the distinguished career of Dr Thomas in Qatar, spanning over 38 years. “He has worked tirelessly and selflessly for the community here in Qatar and in India. He has also worked for furthering the relations between Qatar and India and the presence of several dignitaries today from the Qatari fraternity is a proof of his service for both Indian and Qatari communities. It is also recognition for the Indian community in Qatar as well as a recognition of the support he has received from the leadership of Qatar.” HE al-Rumaihi said: “We congratulate Dr Thomas for this award and we consider him as one of us here in Qatar. He has served the community with high quality of medical treatment and he is a well-known person for the members of the community." HE al-Attiyah, in his video message, recollected his long association with Dr Thomas and highlighted how the community and the country benefitted from his services. ICC president P N Baburajan, while delivering the vote of thanks, highlighted the services of Dr Thomas, especially during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Qatar.    

Those violating Covid-19 protocols shall face imprisonment up to three years and a fine not exceeding QR 200,000 or any of the two, as per Decree Law No. 17 of 1990 on preventing infectious diseases, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday. Lt Col Khalifa Salman al-Mamari, head of Mesaimeer Police Section, was addressing an awareness webinar organised by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior in association with the Capital Security Department. At the webinar, titled ‘Common Crimes and Offences in Expat Communities’, the official spoke about laws and penalties related to various crimes and violations. He highlighted the importance of adhering to the laws and regulations of Qatar and respecting the customs and traditions of the country. “The Covid-19 protocols include adherence to wearing mask in public places, maintaining social distance among people and work place as well as installing the Ethraz app on mobile phones. It also includes adherence to allowed number of people in a vehicle, using electronic services provided by the public and private sectors and encouraging the workers to adhere to all the instructions of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Maangement,” said Lt Col al-Mamari. The official reiterated that strikes and gatherings are not legal in the country. “Failure of some companies to pay salaries to the workers has led them to strike which is forbidden by our true religion and by legislative laws. Workers must choose legal methods to file their complaints regarding non-payment of salaries instead of gatherings and strikes. They should not depend on rumours on social media but get information from official sources,” he explained. According to the official, whoever found drunk on roads or behaving indecently can be sentenced with imprisonment for six months and a fine of up to QR3,000. A person who finds lost items must hand over the same to the owner or to a police station failing which he or she must face an imprisonment up to six months and a fine of not more than QR3,000. Any physical assault is a crime. "This can result in an imprisonment of up to15 years in case of death or permanent disability. In case of serious injuries, the penalty is up to three years of imprisonment or a fine not exceeding QR15,000. In case of theft, the penalty starts from two years of jail up to life imprisonment," he described. Issuing a cheque without sufficient balance in the account is another serious offence which is punishable by law in the country, said Lt Col al-Mamari. The penalty for this can be imprisonment of not less than three months and up to three years and a fine of not less than QR3,000 and up to QR10,000. This can also result in travel ban for the accused. Similarly, trying to commit suicide is a crime that is punishable with up to three months of imprisonment and a fine of not more than QR3,000. "Moreover, people are not allowed to sell goods without a licence and this applies to street vendors too. If anyone violates the law, the goods will be confiscated. Nobody is allowed to bring any prohibited items into the country and if anyone does so, the items will be confiscated and they will be imposed penalties," he added.    

Healthcare leaders in the country are encouraging those who are yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to get immunised at the earliest. ‘Play your part in enabling life to return towards normal by getting vaccinated against Covid-19 when it is your turn’ is the slogan of the initiative. They have shared encouraging messages through the social media accounts of the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that every eligible person in the country gets vaccinated so that life in the country can return to normal as early as possible. Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation expressed his happiness that a large number of people have already got vaccinated. “Among our eligible population of 12 years and above, seven out of ten are fully vaccinated and eight out of ten have got at least one dose. However it is unfortunate that still there are people who are eligible for vaccine because of their age or chronic diseases who have not come forward yet to get it.” “The new variants of the virus are more contagious and serious so it is more important than ever to get vaccinated. I would ask these people to think about the way in which the virus has affected our lives negatively for more than a year and half and ask them to understand that the vaccines provide a route out of this pandemic,” he cautioned. Dr Hamad al-Romaihi, co-chairperson of the National Pandemic Preparedness Committee and director of Health Protection and Communicable Diseases at MoPH, said that one more push is needed to protect the country’s population from any future rise in cases or new variants. “The vast majority of eligible people have received at least one dose of vaccine but the evidence is clear that the more people that are vaccinated from the virus, the greater our chances of winning the long-term battle against Covid-19. If you are not vaccinated, please act now,” he advised. According to Dr Mariam AbdulMalik, managing director of Primary Health Care Corporation, 84% of people over 12 years have now received at least one dose of the vaccine but there is a small minority of people who have not vaccinated. “To ensure that Qatar’s population is as protected as possible from Covid-19, we need as many people as possible to play their part and get vaccinated. Please get vaccinated, protect yourself and your loved ones and the community,” she said. Dr Muna al-Maslamani, medical director of HMC’s Communicable Disease Center said that the widespread vaccination has helped to keep constantly the new cases low in Qatar in the recent weeks. “Clinical evidence here in Qatar shows that the vaccines are highly effective. There have been very few examples in the recent months where fully vaccinated people were admitted to hospital with Covid-19. If you are not vaccinated, please play your part in beating Covid-19, helping us return to normal life as soon as possible and making Qatar a safer place to live for you and your family,” she said.    

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has revised the Covid-19 travel and return policy for travellers to Qatar effective from midday on Monday, August 2. It revises the previous practice and mandates two day hotel quarantine for people travelling from six Asian countries for those got vaccinated in Qatar. Previously all such travellers were exempted from quarantine. According to the announcement published on the MoPH website, new guidelines have been issued to those travelling from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Among these travellers, “those vaccinated/recovering from Covid-19 in Qatar are subject to a two-day hotel quarantine and are allowed to leave the hotel on the second day if the result of the PCR test is negative. The rest of the people are subject to hotel quarantine for a period of 10 days,” said, the announcement. Qatar had done away with quarantine for those travellers who got vaccinated in the country and they had to show a negative RT PCR certificate taken within 72 hours of travel from a medical centre accredited by the local ministry of health in the country of departure. While Qatar administers Pfizer/Biontech and Moderna vaccines in the country, it has also approved AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson (one dose only) and has conditionally approved Sinopharm. Those eligible for 2 day hotel quarantine are those who have taken two doses of the vaccine in Qtarand they should have completed two after the second dose of vaccination. Meanwhile, Discover Qatar in partnership with Qatar Airways has launched the two night Welcome Home Quarantine package. Those travelling after August 2 midday, have to book the package on Discover Qatar website and get the hotel booking. “Once a booking is made, amendments are not allowed up to 14 days before the arrival date of quarantine booking including full refund. All cancellations inside 14 days are subject to 100% cancellation,” the announcement said. Furthermore it also says “if you confirm your booking within 14 days of arrival, it is non-refundable and the dates cannot be amended.” Citizens and residents of Qatar can travel abroad at any time, provided that the travel and return policy is adhered to. Qatar has classified countries in green, yellow, and red lists according to the level of risk in each country.    

* Be cautious as two highly contagious strains of the virus are still actively circulating in the community: MoPH Qatar reached another milestone in its fight against Covid-19 with over two million people receiving at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, as per the data released by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Tuesday. Through the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, as many as 2,013,080 people have received at least one dose while 1,695,471 got both doses. More than 80% of people above 16 years have got at least one dose of the vaccine so far. With the National Vaccination Campaign starting in the last week of December last year, Qatar is now among the very few countries with the largest percentage of the population having been vaccinated. The data also revealed that a total of 3,708,551 doses have been given in the country until now. A total of 81% of people above 16 years have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 68.6% have got both doses. Further, 98.6% of people above 60 years (the most vulnerable population group) have been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 93.5% receiving both doses. Similarly, 96.2% of those above 40 years have received at least one dose and 86.3% have got the two doses. The statistics also revealed that 22,960 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the MoPH reported 86 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 among the community and 60 among travellers while 96 people recovered from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in the country to 223,210. Regarding the current Covid-19 status, the MoPH said: "In recent weeks, the combined impact of Covid-19 restrictions and increasing vaccination rates, and the overwhelming support of the community, has resulted in a consistent reduction in the number of new daily infections in the country. "However, it is still important to be cautious as the second wave is not yet over and there are still two highly contagious and highly virulent strains of the virus that are actively circulating in the community.” Phase 3 of the gradual lifting of restrictions began on July 9 and is part of a four-phase plan to be delivered over the coming months. The date of implementation and duration of each next phase will depend on the epidemic indicators, which rely to a great extent on the degree of compliance of community members with the current measures, restrictions and guidance by the government. "For now, it is important that people, including those who are vaccinated, continue to wear a mask as advised and maintain social distancing," MoPH stressed. "With Covid-19 still a threat to our health here in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following precautionary measures," the ministry advised. These are adherence to physical distancing, avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where people congregate, wearing a face mask and washing hands regularly. People should take the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest opportunity when their turn comes, the statement added. The ministry has also advised that anyone suffering from Covid-19 symptoms should contact the 16000 helpline immediately. This is important as the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.

Staff Reporter The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a global think tank of Qatar Foundation, is currently attempting to create more non-formal learning opportunities to foster more intrinsic motivation through its Learners’ Voice programme. “The initiative, which equips fellows with self-expression skills, has been redesigned in 2021 to be a year-long series of extracurricular activities serving 45 local public middle- and high-schools from nine different schools, in a partnership with the Ministry of Education,” Aurelio Amaral, head of the Learning Ecosystems Track at WISE, said. According to Amaral, “passions can create more active and engaged learners in the long run as opportunities to learn and grow don’t need to be tied to school grounds.” He feels that there is a lot of potential for youth development beyond school borders by observing the surroundings in the neighbourhood, or by interacting with people and organisations from the communities.  Motivating students is one of the key challenges faced by school leaders from public and private schools in Qatar, based on preliminary findings from an action-research project conducted by WISE, which has surveyed over 100 public and private schools and non-formal education providers in Qatar. “To foster more engagement in school, many principals and teachers are seeking to offer a breadth of real world more opportunities outside the classroom space, which are related to the curriculum and connect to learners’ passions and interests. This includes visits to employers and cultural spaces, or – in times of Covid-19 and e-learning – virtual talks with leaders from various areas of expertise to bring an aspect of learning to life,” he noted. WISE organised a kick-off session, in March 2021 with the curriculum and delivery partners, Eidos Global and PA Qatar. According to Amaral, higher levels of engagement sparkle in particular when students use speculation and storytelling to discuss societal problems, such as examining the consequences of global warming by creating scenarios of how life in Doha would look like if the city was permanently flooded “They could explore their identities and through the lenses of their communities, for example, by analysing older and more recent portraits taken in Qatar and observing how fashion traditions in the country evolved over time; interact with role models who can nurture their aspirations,” he said. To substantiate the point, Amaral cites an example of Shaima al-Tamimi, a Qatar-based artist who  explored with the students the sub-text behind her works and those from artists from the region. The personal connection and the contextualised references helped students to see a deeper purpose in developing their own photography projects. “Through the learnings from the programme, it would be possible to collect some evidence on the contribution of non-formal learning to youth engagement in the formal education system in Qatar. The experience might as well encourage more collaboration between schools and other actors in the society – especially those who can help to nurture youth’s personal interests and stimulate the pursuit of their ambitions in the future, “he said. “In our programme and research efforts, we have been working to identify the conditions and lay the foundations to establish and maintain in Qatar effective learning ecosystems – an emerging concept which consists of effective collaboration among schools, businesses and community-based organisations to offer inclusive learning opportunities that improve motivation, bridge gaps in a community and promote social cohesion,” he said. “This, by no means, undermines the role of the formal education system. Rather it looks to capitalise on all the different learning places and assets within a community to support formal learning, and unlock the intrinsic motivation of learners. “If youth can find new sources of motivation to learn outside school – especially when they are nearby in the community – this should only benefit and enhance the overall education experience,” added Amaral.

In an effort to find a more efficient waste disposal solution and to boost food production in the country, a team of researchers from Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is exploring the means to utilise food waste and other organic matter for producing biochar, Gulf Times has learnt. The research is led by Dr Gordon McKay, professor of sustainable development at HBKU and funded by QF’s Qatar National Research Fund. Installation of a large pilot plant for the project at Education City is also expected later this year. Biochar, also known as agriculture’s black gold due to its charcoal-like appearance, adds great value to the soil. “Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s produced when agricultural waste, plant matter (leaves, trunks, roots), manure or other organic material is heated in a zero- or low-oxygen environment – a process known as pyrolysis,” said Dr Hamish Mackey, associate professor, College of Science and Engineering (C SE), HBKU. Preliminary studies by the group using biochar produced from local waste cabbage have been "very promising". Pot tests were done by adding biochar to sandy soil to investigate the effect of biochar on the growth of basil plants. Adding only 2% biochar resulted in the doubling of shoot height as well as the number of leaves per plant. It also reduced the uptake of aluminum – an undesired element by the plant while increasing the uptake of desirable trace metals and salts. The water retention capacity of the soil nearly doubled; this is likely to have a considerable effect on the irrigation needs of the plants.   “Two of biochar’s most valued benefits for plant growth are nutrient and water retention. When worked into the soil, biochar can prevent nutrients from leaching out and water from draining out of the soil, making biochar an effective soil amendment,” said Dr Tareq al-Ansari, assistant professor, College of Science and Engineering, HBKU. “Food waste is a major issue both in Qatar and globally. Through this project, we are laying the groundwork for a circular economy in agriculture wherein we use food waste for the regeneration of natural systems and enhanced agricultural productivity,” continued Dr al-Ansari. Biochar production is also a carbon-negative process, as it effectively reduces CO2 in the atmosphere. The waste used for making biochar would release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere if it is left to decompose naturally. Through pyrolysis, its carbon content can be transformed into a stable structure that doesn’t react to oxygen, ultimately reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Because of its porous nature, biochar can improve the water retention capacity of soil, allowing plants to have more water available to them for a longer period of time. Biochar is most effective when applied to soils with poor fertility making it especially useful for plants in arid to semiarid environments, regions prone to drought, and areas with limited irrigation capabilities. “It is more important to note that not all biochars are the same. Their properties depend heavily on the production parametres such as temperature and heating rate. Similarly, their effects vary depending on the kind of soil that is being amended, maximum improvement is seen in sandy soil which is prevalent in Qatar,” said, Dr Mackey. “The next step is carrying out long-term evapotranspiration tests to estimate the loss of water from both plants and the soil after addition of biochar. This will be key in determining how much real water savings can be realised,” explained, Dr al-Ansari. The group is expecting installation of a large pilot plant at Education City this year, which will allow them to scale up the biochar production capacity and move towards field scale testing, a crucial step before commercialisation. “Field tests will be conducted over an extended period of time so we have solid data to demonstrate the effects of biochar on the soil as well as the plants and most importantly quantify potential water savings,” Dr Mackey added.    

Investment in smart technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms helped Qatar avoid a full lockdown during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, a senior official at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said Wednesday. “We in Qatar had started setting up one central system for all public health facilities through Cerner, and this helped us have the entire system connected together as one unit,” he said. “This was a great help for us during the pandemic.” “We also invested more in smart monitoring systems, such as Ehteraz and other smart systems,” said Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, the director of the MoPH’s Public Health Department. “This investment in smart technologies helped Qatar avoid a full lockdown, which most other countries in the world had to face.” He was speaking at a panel discussion on *The Internet of Things in Health Emergencies at the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), Powered by Bloomberg. “We were sure from the beginning that we need technology to face any situation and we had already worked on these aspects,” Sheikh Mohamed said. “The Internet of Things is one area we were very keen to invest in. This could lower the pressure on healthcare system and assured confidence in the economy during the lockdown.” “Qatar had worked out a clear policy right from the beginning to face the pandemic, and we had observed the situation keenly,” he added. “When other countries started facing the pandemic, we knew that the virus will reach us sooner or later.” “This also provided the message that the world should work together as one to make it a safe place,” he explained. The official noted that despite the Covid-19-related restrictions, the economy kept moving due to Qatar’s reliance on technology. "All our work and investment in modern technologies such as IoT and cloud computing helped us face the challenges and overcome them strongly,” Sheikh Mohamed noted. “When we started investing in these technologies, it was a very costly affair, but we are getting real benefits of this investment and the people and country are benefiting from it.” Other panelists on the discussion were GE Healthcare chief medical officer (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Dr Mathias Goyen, Fullerton Health group chief operating officer Margareta Laminto, New Frontier Health chief executive and United Family Healthcare founder Roberta Lipson, Roche Diagnostics managing director (Asia Pacific region) Lance Little, Medidata Solutions senior vice-president and general manager (Asia Pacific) Edwin Ng, and and Mohamed A Saleh, regional industry director (Health & Life Sciences) at Microsoft Middle East & Africa. The session was moderated by Rachel Chang, team leader (Asia Consumer) of Health & Media News at Bloomberg. GE Healthcare’s Dr Goyen said that the Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for the entire healthcare industry and at the same time an accelerator for the implementation of technology in healthcare and other sectors. “More hospital officials say they have progressed more in the last 10-12 months in their thinking about mobile and virtual health,” he said. “Also patients’ attitudes are changing.” “Patients do not tend to go to a provider for a physical visit if a virtual visit can solve the issue,” Dr Goyen added. “Covid-19 has also made patients’ inclinations more open to embracing new technologies. This is the momentum that we will have to carry on." “We need a real change management system and a paradigm shift,” he said. “The clinicians and people who are dealing with the new technologies should promote it internally and become agents of change.” According to Roche Diagnostics’ Little, no governments or companies alone can manage a pandemic like Covid-19. “Clinicians, academicians, technicians and all others have to come together to face such challenges,” he said. “Many healthcare systems are not resilient enough to face such health shocks. “They should examine and analyses the shortcomings in their healthcare systems and suggest the steps to prevent future external shocks to be more resilient.” “We also have to take care of non-pandemic patients, he added. “The driver of resilience is digitisation.”