The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Sunday announced 1,632 confirmed new cases of Covid-19, and 582 new recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 4,370.
During the last 24 hours, the MoPH recorded 18 cases admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) due to complications resulting from the infection, bringing the total number of cases receiving care in the ICU to 165.
The Ministry pointed that the new cases are expatriate workers who were infected as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the MoPH.
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, MoPH said stressing 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 are social distancing, staying home and not going out on social visits.
The MoPH also said that Qatar has now entered the peak phase of the virus outbreak, causing 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 underlined 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 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 with the virus recently.
The MoPH further 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 MoPH stressed that because the Covid-19 outbreak is at the peak stage in Qatar, it is important not to leave the house except when absolutely essential. It also highlighted 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 Covid-19.
According to a tweet from the MoPH, with a total of 4,866 people tested for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, as many as 157,570 have been tested so far in Qatar.
The total number of infected people in Qatar since the start of the Covid-10 outbreak is 32,604. The total number of current active cases is 28,219. The total number of people currently under acute hospital care is 1,421, including 242 acute hospital admissions in the last 24 hours.
A total of 165 Covid-19 patients are currently in ICU, with 18 admitted in the last 24 hours. The total number of Covid-19 deaths so far in Qatar is 15.
The MoPH also called on 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. 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 Slal Health Centre; and Al Gharafa Health Centre, MoPH said.
The MoPH also urged the public to regularly visit its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions related to Covid-19.

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