* Priority given to key businesses that are in direct contact with the public
* Businesses — and not individuals - can contact VSU directly to schedule vaccination appointments for staff
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has set up a scheduling unit to support the vaccination of key service workers in Qatar.
"To support the gradual easing of restrictions, it will be important that workers in the service industries are protected against Covid-19," the MoPH said in a post on social media. "To facilitate this, the MoPH has set up a Covid-19 Vaccination Scheduling Unit (VSU) for the vaccination of business workers in support of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme."
The VSU supports the vaccination of workers in all businesses, but priority will be given to key businesses that are in direct contact with the rest of the community, such as barbershops, hairdressers and salons, restaurants, retail shops, supermarkets, hotels and other hospitality services.
Businesses — and not individuals - can contact the unit directly at [email protected] to schedule vaccination appointments for their staff.
This vaccination service has already started, and tens of thousands of workers have been vaccinated so far, the MoPH added.
Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, chair of the National Strategic Group on Covid-19 and head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, had told a press conference on Sunday that Qatar was among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of Covid-19 vaccination coverage compared to its population. He also stressed the need for the vaccination of workers in the field of basic services to support the gradual lifting of restrictions.
Saleh al-Khulaifi, assistant undersecretary for Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said at the same press conference that Qatar is expanding the vaccination campaign to include workers in the field of services. The authorities concerned will continue to vaccinate all workers and employees of companies, restaurants and various facilities to ensure the continuation of commercial activities and the gradual return to normalcy, according to a Qatar News Agency report.
He noted that the MoPH is expanding its vaccination campaign by providing the vaccine to all workers in commercial and service companies and those dealing with the public directly by giving them priority. They will be contacted for vaccination before the different stages of lifting of restrictions are applied, so that such workers can provide the services safely.
50% of eligible people get at least one dose
The Ministry of Public Health on Monday reported that 49.6% of the eligible population in Qatar has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
A total of 1,844,658 vaccine doses have been administered since the start of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, with 31,418 doses given in the past 24 hours, according to QNA.
