The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Thursday announced that there were 1,733 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 213 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 3,356.
In a statement, the MoPH said the newly diagnosed cases are linked to expatriate workers who had been in direct contact with the previously confirmed cases, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions during investigations by the ministry's research and investigation teams.
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.
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 are physical distancing and reducing social visits as well as the need to leave home.
All the new infected cases have been quarantined at the State's health facilities where they are receiving the necessary medical care.
The Ministry of Public Health has 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.
The MoPH explained 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 stabilise 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 infected with the virus recently.
Further, the ministry noted 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.
The MoPH stressed that 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, maintaining physical distancing, including in the workplace and public places, and avoiding social visits.
The ministry has called on any person who has symptoms of Covid-19 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.
The MoPH has also recommended visiting its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions related to Covid-19.
