More than 300,000 people have benefitted from the COVID-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Centers at Lusail and Al Wakra, said the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday. The Ministry has also said that it will limit the operating hours of the COVID-19 DriveThrough Vaccination Centers from Sunday, June 13, as peak summer months are approaching.
“With temperatures continuing to rise as Qatar approaches the peak summer months, the Ministry has announced that from Sunday, 13 June, the operating hours at Lusail and Al Wakra DriveThrough Vaccination Centers will be changed to 4pm to midnight daily, with the last entry at 11pm,” “By limiting the operating hours to the late afternoons and evenings, members of the public using the Drive-Through Centers will be able to enjoy the best possible user experience, while the wellbeing of all staff will also be maintained,” it added.
“The Drive-Through Vaccination Centers administer second doses only, and to date more than 302,000 people have benefited from easy access to vaccines at the Centers in Lusail and Al Wakra,” MoPH said in a post on Twitter.
The Ministry said that 1,176,240 people (51.5% of population 16 years and above) have received both doses of the vaccine. According to the Ministry, 19,015 vaccine doses have been administered in 24 hours and the total doses since the start of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program have reached 2,748,452. Also 67.7% of the eligible population has now received at least one dose of the vaccine. 94.1% of over 60s (the most vulnerable population group) have been vaccinated with at least one dose; while 87.2% have received both doses.
The Ministry also reported 143 new cases and one death aged 58, who had a history of chronic disease and was receiving the necessary medical care, yesterday. Among the new cases 54 were from travellers returning from abroad. A total of 178 people recovered from COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total number of people recovered in Qatar 216,301.
The Ministry also said that in recent weeks the combined impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions and increasing vaccination rates, and the overwhelming support of the community, has resulted in a consistent reduction in the number of new daily infections in the country.
However, it is still important to be cautious as the second wave is not yet over and there are still two highly contagious and highly virulent strains of the virus that are actively circulating in the community.
The plan to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions will be delivered over four (4) phases with each phase lasting three (3) weeks.
The date of implementation and the duration of each phase will depend on the epidemic indicators which depend to a great extent on the degree of compliance of the community members with the current measures, restrictions and guidance by the government
