Qatar’s government has put in place an effective mechanism to safeguard public health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been taking timely steps as per the situation in Qatar and around the world. Qatar’s public health measure are also particularly important as the country prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in less than three months.
Reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the country, the Cabinet on Thursday lifted the requirement to use face masks in closed public places. With the new rules effective from today, masks are mandatory only in public transportation and at healthcare facilities. Some employees working in closed offices and dealing with the public are, however, still required to wear masks while at work.
The Ministry of Public Health reported 3,416 COVID-19 cases last week in community and another 315 cases detected in travelers coming from abroad. A total of 605 cases have been reported during the past 24 hours, including 47 among travellers. Since the start of the pandemic, Qatar has fared better than many countries in safeguarding people’s health and suppressing the spread of COVID-19 infection.
Due to its effective test, trace and quarantine policies and a state-of-the-art healthcare system, Qatar has one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world. The country has also recorded one of the highest COVID-19 vaccine coverage with close to 7.4 million vaccine doses administered to date. This includes over 1.8 million booster shots. However, despite high vaccination rate and falling number of daily new cases, COVID-19 remains a danger and people should continue following precautions. As of August 28, 2022, there were over 4,000 positive cases in the country, 78 of them in hospitals with a COVID-19 infection.
While visitors from some high-risk countries are still subject to hotel quarantine and require pre-travel registration, Qatar has taken steps to make travel to the country seamless, especially ahead of the World Cup. Residents and nationals of GCC countries as well as the EU member states and the UK are no longer required to obtain pre-travel registration as COVID-19 health apps used in those countries are accepted in Qatar too.
Qatar is also collaborating with the World Health Organization and FIFA to not only make the World Cup safe for all the participants but to also promote global health safety and make the future mega sports events safe and secure.
