The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced Sunday 1,186 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, a total of 1,646 new recoveries and three deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries in Qatar to 56,898.
The MoPH said in a statement that during the last 24 hours, 13 new cases have been admitted to intensive care due to health complications resulting from Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases currently in intensive care to 231.
The ministry also said there has been a small decrease in the number of acute Covid-19 positive patients being admitted to intensive care thanks to the measures it took along with the other authorities concerned to limit the spread of the virus, the most important of which is early detection that can contribute significantly to reducing the severity of infection.
The MoPH added that the new cases are expatriate workers infected as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified through track and trace team at the ministry.
Cases of infection have also increased significantly 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.
The new confirmed cases of infection have been introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they receive the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The MoPH said that the three deaths recorded Sunday were of people aged 42, 84 and 57, respectively, suffering from several chronic diseases and who received medical care in intensive care units. The ministry offered sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the deceased.
According to a tweet from the MoPH, with a total of 3,884 people tested for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, as many as 290,714 have been tested so far in Qatar. The total number of infected people in Qatar since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak is 79,602.
The total number of current active cases is 22,631. The total number of people currently under acute hospital care is 1,229, including 143 acute hospital admissions in the last 24 hours. The total number of Covid-19 deaths so far in Qatar is 73.
The MoPH confirmed that efforts to tackle the Covid-19 virus in Qatar have succeeded in flattening the curve and reducing the impact of the virus by a large percentage thanks to the decisions of the ban, the preventive measures taken, and the awareness and co-operation of all members of society, and that there are relatively low average numbers in relation to the recorded cases of new hospital admissions.
The ministry also stated that Qatar has now started to overcome the peak phase of the Covid-19 outbreak, with the beginning of its decline, thanks to the measures and measures taken by the state to address it, along with the commitment of the community members to recommendations and preventive instructions, the most important of which are social distancing, maintaining physical distancing, staying at home and not going out except for necessity as well as using medical masks.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 should either quickly contact the 16000 helpline or go directly to one of the designated health centres for testing, the ministry said emphasising that the earlier the disease is detected the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover.
The main screening centres include Muaither Health Centre, Rawdat Al Khail Health Centre, Umm Slal Health Centre and Al Gharafa Health Centre.
The MoPH reaffirmed the necessity for the elderly or those suffering from chronic diseases and their family members to follow strict methods and precautions to reduce the risk of infection and work to protect them from infection by refraining from social visits, wearing the mask and cleansing the hands when near them.
The ministry said that, based on the extensive data and studies conducted by the authorities concerned in the country, Qatar will begin, from Monday to lift the restrictions imposed to combat the epidemic gradually in four stages that will last until September 1.
In this context, it is stressed that the application of preventive measures and measures must continue to be implemented in the stages of gradually lifting the imposed restrictions that were applied in the country as a result of the spread of the Covid-19, as failure to adhere to precautionary measures during the next stage will lead to the return of the virus to the country.
The MoPH also pointed out that the measures applied by the state in the early stages, in February, contributed greatly and effectively to controlling the extent of its spread. This also helped in expanding the capacity of the health system to deal with all cases contrary to what happened in some countries that failed to implement precautionary measures early enough, which led to the collapse of their health system and an inability to handle the large numbers of cases.
The MoPH stressed that the gradual lifting of restrictions came after a thorough study of the situation in Qatar and from similar experiences in many countries that have succeeded in limiting the spread of the virus after gradually lifting the restrictions.
The ministry warned that lifting the restrictions gradually does not mean the disappearance of Covid-19, pointing out that during the planning of the relaxation of restrictions, attention was given to priorities to ensure avoiding the risks that may arise as a result of lifting them. Each stage will be subject to evaluation and review based on the extent of the virus spread as the success of each stage depends on the commitment of everyone to implement the required precautions.
The MoPH also stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic that swept the world posed a great challenge to all countries and affected each country in a different way. Therefore, it is important to realise that all the precautionary measures are aimed at primarily to protecting public health and individuals from this virus, taking into account all other aspects of life, whether social or economic.
The MoPH also recommended visiting its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions related to Covid-19.
