Qatar records 244 new COVID-19 cases

Doha, Qatar

Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) today reported 244 new cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) and 119 people recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of people recovered in Qatar to 225,685.

Out of 244 new cases, 173 are community cases and 71 are travellers returning from abroad.

No death was reported in the last 24 hours. The total death toll from Covid-19 stands at 601.

28,533 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered during the past 24 hours. 

The total number of vaccine doses administered since the start of the vaccination campaign is 4,067,088.

The total number of positive Covid-19 cases recorded in Qatar till now is 228,787 and there are 2,501 active cases under treatment.

5,179 people were tested for the first time in the last 24 hours (23,783 tests in total) taking the total tests done so far to 2,402,281 tests.

One person was admitted in intensive care in the last 24 hours and 24 people continue to receive medical attention in ICU.

There were 8 cases of hospital admissions in the last 24 hours taking the total number of patients in the hospital to 79.

Current COVID-19 Status

* Every day, hundreds of people are becoming sick due to the COVID-19 with many requiring admission to hospital to manage their symptoms.
* Since 1 February, the number of people with COVID-19 admitted to hospital has doubled.
* Qatar's strict quarantine policy for returning travelers enabled us to delay the introduction of new variants into this country for several months but we are now seeing positive COVID-19 cases in the region and in Qatar with the new variants from the United Kingdom.
* This new variant is much more contagious and spread more easily between people than the existing strain and may be associated with increased severity of disease
* The good news is that the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used in our vaccination program are effective against the new variants
* The pace of the vaccination program means that there is finally hope of a gradual return to normal for us here in Qatar and people around the world. But this will not happen in the next few weeks or months.
* COVID-19 will continue to be a threat to our health for the majority of 2021 and until all eligible members of our population have been vaccinated, we must continue to follow the preventive measures.

What You Can Do

* With the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Qatar, it is important for everyone 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 from COVID-19 symptoms should contact 16000 helpline immediately. This is important as 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.