Ministry of Public Health today announces the registration of 1,365 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 529 new recovered cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries in the State of Qatar to 4,899
During the last 24 hours, 19 new cases have been admitted to intensive care due to complications resulting from the infection, bringing the total number of people in intensive care units to 172.
The Ministry states that the 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 Ministry of Public Health.
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 affirms 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 social and physical distancing, staying at home and refraining from social visits.
The new confirmed cases of infection have been introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they receive the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry of Public Health states that Qatar has now entered the peak phase of the virus outbreak, which is seeing a rise in the number of infections recorded daily. It is therefore more important than ever to strictly follow recommended prevention and social distancing measures.
The Ministry also stresses the importance for the elderly or those suffering from chronic diseases, and their family members, to follow strict measures to reduce the chances of infection with the virus and to refrain from social visits during the rest of Ramadan as well as on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
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 investigations of large numbers of contacts with people who have been confirmed with the virus recently.
The Ministry of Public Health notes that the number of daily tests that it conducts on people 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. This is in addition to the tests performed on patients in health centers and emergency departments. The number of tests performed daily is not linked to the number of cases detected in terms of any rise or fall.
The Ministry of Health stresses that because the coronavirus outbreak is at the peak stage in Qatar, it is important not to leave the house except for when absolutely essential. It also stresses the importance of adhering to all measures to protect against virus infection, including maintaining social distancing both in the workplace and public places, as well as wearing a medical mask and avoiding social visits to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.