* MoCI official stresss need for companies, commercial establishments, shopping centres, restaurants and cafes to adhere to restrictions during four stages of lifting of restrictions.

People looking to buy things during the Eid al-Fitr holiday period should use online services to avoid going out or opt for non-crowded places while adhering to the Covid-19 precautionary and preventive procedures put in place to ensure everyone's safety, a senior Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) official has suggested.

Saleh al-Khulaifi, assistant undersecretary for Trade Affairs at the MoCI, made the observation at a press conference on Sunday while reviewing the different stages of the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, which will start on May 23 or 28 depending on a decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases after the Eid al-Fitr holidays.

As announced on Sunday, Qatar plans to gradually lift the Covid-19 restrictions in four phases, with each phase lasting three weeks. Al-Khulaifi praised the commitment of shopping centres, markets, restaurants, cafes and business/entertainment owners to the precautionary and preventive measures taken by the State in the recent period, Qatar News Agency said in a report.

He noted that Qatar is expanding its vaccination campaign to include workers in the field of services, as the authorities concerned will continue to vaccinate all workers and employees of companies, restaurants and various facilities to ensure the continuation of commercial activities and the gradual return to normalcy.

The official stressed the need for companies, commercial establishments, shopping centres, restaurants and cafes to adhere to the restrictions during the four stages of the lifting of restrictions. He said the MoCI, in co-operation with the authorities concerned, carries out the intensive and continuous monitoring of facilities' compliance with the precautionary measures and restrictions imposed and to ensure their compliance with the measures, procedures and requirements of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to prevent the virus from spreading.

Al-Khulaifi said with more than a year passing since the start of the pandemic, there is a greater understanding among business owners of the main messages and precautionary measures that the State has followed and that all employees of these activities have become familiar with them, praising the good handling of these measures apart from some rare cases (violations) in which the necessary legal measures have been taken.

He noted that the MoPH is expanding its vaccination campaign by providing the vaccine to all workers in commercial and service companies and those dealing with the public directly by giving them priority. They will be contacted for vaccination before the different stages of lifting of restrictions are applied, so that such workers can provide the services safely.