The Ministry of Public Health Saturday reported 1,547 confirmed new cases of Covid-19, and 242 people recovering from the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 3,788.
The ministry also reported one more death due to the virus.
It said that 15 new cases are in intensive care due to health complications resulting from infection with the virus, bringing the total number of cases receiving medical care in intensive care to 158.



The ministry said that the new cases involved expatriate workers who caught the virus as a result of contact with infected individuals, besides cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions.
The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation health teams.
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.
In this context, the ministry affirmed that the high number of cases among citizens and residents is due to the lack of compliance by some with precautionary measures, the most important of which is social separation and reduced exit from the home and social visits.
All the new infected cases have been quarantined and are receiving the necessary medical care.
The ministry also reported the death of a 74-year-old resident who was receiving necessary medical care in intensive care. It extended its condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased.
The health ministry said that Qatar has now entered the peak phase of the virus outbreak, which is seeing a rise in the number of infections recorded daily.
It is therefore more important than ever to strictly follow recommended prevention and social distancing measures.
The ministry also stresses the importance for the elderly or those suffering from chronic diseases and their family members to follow strict measures to reduce the chances of infection with the virus and to refrain from social visits during the rest of Ramadan as well as on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
The reasons for the high numbers of new cases are due to the ministry's redoubling of its efforts in tracking the transitional chains of the virus and expanding the circle of searching for infected people through intensive and proactive investigations of large numbers of contacts with people who have been confirmed infected with the virus recently.
The ministry noted that the number of daily tests that it conducts on people depends primarily on the number of contacts with individuals confirmed to be infected with the virus, as it conducts random checks in different places of the country as a proactive measure.
This is in addition to the tests performed on patients in health centres and emergency departments.
The number of tests performed daily is not linked to the number of cases detected in terms of any rise or fall.
The Ministry of Health stresses that because the coronavirus outbreak is at the peak stage in the country, it is important not to leave the house except for when absolutely essential.
It also stresses the importance of adhering to all measures to protect against virus infection, including maintaining social distancing both in the workplace and public places, as well as wearing a medical mask and avoiding social visits to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
Anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19 should either quickly contact the 16000 helpline or go directly to one of the designated health centres for testing the virus.
This is important as the earlier the disease is detected the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.
The four main testing centres are:
Muaither Health Centre;
Rawdat Al Khalil Health Centre;
Um Salal Health Centre; and,
Al Gharafa Health Centre.
The health ministry also recommends visiting its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions related to Covid-19.