Authorities ready to enforce new restrictions

The authorities concerned have advised the public to comply with the new Covid-19 regulations announced by the Cabinet Wednesday.
Patrolling and inspections will be stepped up as the new restrictions come into effect Friday.
Lieutenant-Colonel Masoud Jaman al-Qahtani, head of the Ehteraz Unit at the National Command Centre, has stressed the readiness of the Ministry of Interior to enforce the new Covid-19 restrictions that will be in force from Friday.
He told Qatar TV Wednesday evening that the majority of violations observed recently in this regard pertained to not wearing facemasks in places where they are mandatory.
He said more patrols will be deployed in different areas to monitor the situation, and some of them will be in civilian dress and others in uniforms. In addition, there will be complete co-ordination with inspectors of both the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to ensure compliance with the restrictions.
Meanwhile, issuance of permits for holding social events will be stopped starting from Friday in accordance with the new rules. He stressed that the co-operation of the public is of outmost importance to overcome the pandemic.
Ayad al-Qahtani, director of the commercial registration and licensing department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said the violators of the new decisions will face fines in addition to closure of the outlet concerned for certain periods.
He also advised shop and restaurant owners to fully abide by the new decisions and arrange their services and businesses accordingly.
For instance, barbershops and beauty salons should introduce pre-booking systems to avoid any potential increase in the number of waiting customers.