The concerted efforts of healthcare workers and the commitment of all members of society to precautionary measures has limited the spread of Covid-19 in Qatar, the Government Communications Office (GCO) has said.

The GCO stressed this through a post on Twitter on Wednesday, accompanied by a graphic showing the level of active Covid-19 cases in the country over the past few months.

There are currently fewer than 3,000 active Covid-19 cases in Qatar, the tweet noted.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Wednesday reported 209 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, of which 168 are from the community and 41 from travellers returning from abroad who are subject to quarantine, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The MoPH also recorded 252 recoveries from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 134,950.

Further, the ministry also announced one new death, that of a 60-year-old who had received all necessary medical attention, QNA said.

All new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary medical care according to their health status.

Measures to tackle Covid-19 in Qatar have succeeded in flattening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus and the number of new daily cases and hospital admissions is continuing to decline each week, the report states. Qatar's proactive and extensive testing of suspected cases has enabled the authorities to identify a high number of positive cases in the community.

Qatar has one of the lowest Covid-19 death rates in the world. This is a result of very high-quality care provided thorough the public healthcare sector for Covid-19 patients; Qatar's young population; proactive testing to identify cases early; expanding hospital capacity, especially intensive care, to ensure that all patients receive the medical care they need; and protecting the elderly and those with chronic diseases.

At the same time, the MoPH has cautioned that even though restrictions are being lifted and the Covid-19 numbers are declining, this does not mean that the pandemic is finished in Qatar. People continue to be admitted with moderate to severe Covid-19 symptoms. "Unless we follow all precautionary measures, we may experience a second wave of the virus and see numbers increase; there are already signs of this happening in other countries around the world," it points out.

The ministry has advised people to avoid close contact with others, crowded places and confined, closed spaces where many people congregate. "Now more than ever, we must be careful and protect the most vulnerable."

The MoPH has reiterated the need to follow precautionary measures such as adherence to physical distancing, wearing a face mask and washing hands regularly.

"Most importantly, it is vital that we continue to protect the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. When spending time at home with elderly family members or those with chronic diseases, ensure you wash your hands regularly, wear a mask and maintain social and physical distancing," it adds.



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