The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) announced that there are 1733 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 213 recovered cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 3356 cases.
According to the MOPH website, new cases are due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the MOPH.
Cases of infection have also increased 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. In this context, the Ministry affirmed that the high number of infections among citizens and residents is due to the lack of compliance by some with precautionary measures, the most important of which is physical distancing and reducing the need to leaving home. All the new infected cases have been quarantined where they are receiving the necessary medical care.
MOPH launched a community study to learn more about how the virus is transmitted within the community and about cases of infection that do not show symptoms of the disease. This is being done through the use of drive-through testing centres, where invited participants complete a survey and have a test.
MOPH notes that the current period is considered to be the peak stage in the virus outbreak when numbers may continue to rise before they begin to stabilize and then gradually decline. The reasons for the high numbers of new cases are due to the Ministry’s redoubling of its efforts in tracking the transitional chains of the virus and expanding the circle of searching for infected people through intensive and proactive testing of large numbers of contacts with people who have been confirmed with the virus recently.
MOPH notes that the number of daily tests it conducts depends primarily on the number of contacts with individuals confirmed to be infected with the virus, as it conducts random checks in different places of the country as a proactive measure. The number of tests performed daily is not linked to the number of cases detected in terms of any rise or fall.
MOPH says as the virus is in the peak stage it is important for all members of the community to stay at home and not go out except in cases of necessity. They should also implement preventive measures, including the wearing of medical masks, maintain physical distancing, including in the workplace and public places and avoid social visits.
The Ministry of Public Health calls on any person who has symptoms of coronavirus to contact the dedicated hotline on 16000, or go to one of the centres for testing the virus, as the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to recover from it.
For more information, please visit: MOPH
