The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Wednesday reported 984 new confirmed cases of coronavirus. Of these 745 are community cases and 239 from travellers returning from abroad.
The MOPH recorded 601 recoveries from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 171,388.
Eight new deaths of people aged 46, 54, 57, 58, 70, 76, 87 and 89 were recorded. Five of them had chronic diseases and had received necessary medical care.
The MOPH statement on Covid-19 developments in Qatar, added:
* 1,159,479 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the start of the programme.
* 27,848 Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered in the past 24 hours.
* Every day, hundreds of people are becoming sick due to Covid-19 with many requiring admission to hospital to manage their symptoms.
* Since February 1, the number of people with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals had doubled.
* Qatar's strict quarantine policy for returning travellers had helped delay the spread of new variants in the country for several months but now Covid-19 cases of the new variants from South Africa was being witnessed in the region and Qatar.
* The new variant is much more contagious and is capable of spreading more easily than the existing strain and may be associated with increased severity of disease
* The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used in Qatar's vaccination programme are effective against the new variants
* The pace of the vaccination programme brings hope of a gradual return to normalcy in Qatar and to people around the world. However, this is unlikely to happen in the next few weeks or months.
The statement stressed that it is important for all to play their role in controlling the virus by following precautionary measures:
* Adherence to physical distancing.
* Avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where other people congregate.
* Wearing a face mask.
* Washing hands regularly.
* Anyone suffering Covid-19 symptoms should contact 16000 helpline immediately. The earlier the disease is detected the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.
* Visit the MOPH website for regular updates and new information.
 
 
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