Ministry of Public Health Updates List of Groups Eligible for Home Quarantine

Ministry of Public Health Updates List of Groups Eligible for Home Quarantine

The Ministry of Public Health announced Tuesday an update to the list of groups eligible for home quarantine, to become effective starting Sunday, 24 January 2021, at all ports of entry to the country, based on the previously announced policies for travel and return from abroad to Qatar and in light of the recent medical developments concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ministry of Public Health announced an update to the list of groups eligible for home quarantine, to become effective starting next Sunday, at all ports of entry to the country, based on the previously announced policies for travel and return from abroad to Qatar. #QNA pic.twitter.com/w6iTh6Pijw

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) January 19, 2021

According to the Ministry's statement, the following categories will be exempted from the hotel quarantine requirement and will be allowed to home quarantine. This applies to Qatari citizens and residents, their family members, and their travelling party who share the same national address, regardless of the country they are departing from.

1. People aged 65 years or above.

2. People who have undergone organ or bone marrow transplantation.

3. Patients with health conditions that require immunosuppressive therapies.

4. Patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease.

5. Patients with asthma (moderate and severe asthma).

6. Cancer patients, including patients who undergo treatment sessions (chemotherapy and radiation therapy).

7. Pregnant women.

8. Breastfeeding mothers who are caring for children aged from 0 to 5 years.

9. Patients with acute kidney failure (end-stage renal failure) or those who undergo dialysis treatment.

10. Patients with chronic liver disease.

11. Patients who have had lower limb amputations.

12. People with disabilities who are dependent on other people to carry out their daily activities.

13. Children with disabilities and their mothers.

14. Patients with epilepsy who receive epilepsy treatment.

15. Patients with diabetic foot disease.

16. People who have a first-degree relative who passed away within the past 10 days.

17. People with mental health problems who are treated with medication, and whose health condition may deteriorate if they are kept in enclosed spaces.

18. Diabetics who suffer from neuropathy, kidney or retinal diseases or other types of diabetes complications.

19. Minors (aged below 18 years) who travel without their parents/guardians (not accompanied by an adult).

However, hotel quarantine will be mandatory for those who return from abroad alone without their exempted relatives who were with them when they traveled from Qatar. Therefore, they are advised to ensure necessary hotel reservations are made prior their return to the country.

The exemption from hotel quarantine does not include visitors coming to the country. The decision can be suspended in cases that require the implementation of the hotel quarantine policy, such as inappropriate housing conditions. It can also be suspended by a decision issued by the Ministry of Public Health to control the spread of COVID-19 infections in the country.

Furthermore, travelers with chronic health conditions must register themselves for the MyHealth patient portal online to obtain a medical report and a COVID-19 test result from an approved health center within 72 hours prior departure, or apply for a chronic condition certificate online through Hamad Medical Corporation or Primary Health Care Corporation websites.

The above list will be reviewed and updated regularly based on developments.

Ministry of Public Health Updates List of Groups Eligible for Home Quarantine

Based on the previously announced policies for travel and return from abroad to Qatar and in light of the recent medical developments concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, pic.twitter.com/hy9o0NB9JN

— ????? ????? ?????? (@MOPHQatar) January 19, 2021

Source: MoPH