Qatar Cabinet announces new Covid restrictions

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani chaired Wednesday via videoconference the Cabinet's regular meeting. Following the meeting, HE the Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi said the following statement: At the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet listened to the explanation provided by HE Minister of Public Health on the latest developments to limit the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and affirmed the continuation of implementing the precautionary measures in order to combat this pandemic, and decided the following: 1- Reducing the number of employees present at the workplace in government agencies to 50 percent of the total number of employees in each entity, and the rest of the employees conduct their work remotely from their homes or upon request, according to the circumstances, with the exception of the military, security and health sectors. 2- Reducing the number of employees present at the workplace in the private sector to 50 percent of the total number of employees in each agency, and the rest of the employees conduct their work remotely from their homes, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with the concerned authorities, determines the necessary activities that are excluded from this decision. 3 - All meetings that are held for employees and workers in the government and private sectors present at their place of work remotely shall be using modern technical means, and in case this is not possible, and in cases of necessity, the meeting shall be held with a number of not more than 5 persons, taking into account the precautionary measures. 4- Continue working with the decision obliging all citizens and residents to wear masks when leaving the house for any reason, unless the person is present by himself while driving the vehicle. 5- Continue working with the decision obliging all citizens and residents to activate EHTERAZ application on smartphones when leaving the house for any reason. 6- Continuing the opening of mosques to perform the daily duties and Friday prayers, provided that Tarawih prayers are performed during the month of Ramadan at home, and children under 12 years old are not allowed to enter, while adhering to the precautionary measures set by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, while toilets and ablution facilities remain closed. 7- Preventing social gatherings and visits in closed places in homes and councils, and permitting the presence of a maximum of 5 people in open spaces, including those who have completed doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. 8- Winter camps must allow in only family members who live in the same house. 9- Not to hold weddings in closed or open spaces until further notice. 10- Preventing gatherings or sitting in public parks, beaches and the corniche, and permitting individual sports such as walking, running and cycling, while continuing to close playgrounds and sports equipment in those places. 11- Continuing the work of obliging all citizens and residents when leaving and moving for any reason that no more than four people are in the vehicle, including the vehicle's driver, with the exception of family members residing in the same house when leaving and moving in vehicles. 12- Continuing work with the decision reducing the number of people transported by buses to the half of the bus capacity, while taking precautions measures. 13- Reducing the capacity of operating metro services by no more than 20 percent, stopping operation of those services on Fridays and Saturdays. Reducing the capacity for operating public transport services by no more than 20 percent, with stopping the operation of those services in some lines and stopping operating on Fridays and Saturdays, taking into account the closure of places designated for smoking, and not allowing food and drink to be consumed in the aforementioned transport. 14- Driving schools continue to be closed. 15- Closing theaters and cinemas. 16- Allowing private educational and training centers to provide their services through remote communication programs only. 17- Closing nurseries. 18- Closing public museums and libraries. 19- Continuing to allow individual educational sessions to be held in centers designated for people with special needs, while adhering to special requirements set by the Ministry of Public Health. 20 - Continuing not to allow the training of sports teams, whether indoors or outdoors, with the exception of preparatory training for local and international tournaments approved by the Ministry of Public Health. 21- Obtaining prior approval from the Ministry of Public Health to organize local and international sporting events. 22- Postponing all conferences, exhibitions and events. 23- Continuing with decision to allow capacity of malls to not exceeding 30% and not allowing children under 16 years old to enter and closing all prayer rooms and changing rooms in these complexes, with the continued closure of all food courts inside malls and allowing these restaurants to serve delivery and take out. 24- Not to allow restaurants and cafes to serve food and drinks in open or closed places and to allow them to offer foods and drinks through take-out and delivery only. 25- The continued suspension of the rental services of boats, tourist yachts and pleasure boats, with the exception of rental services for family members residing in the same house, and owners of boats and personal yachts are obligated, in the event that they are used, that other than the family members residing in the same house are not present on board or the presence of 5 people with a maximum of 5 from non-family members, provided that they have completed the doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. 26- The traditional souqs markets continue to operate with a capacity not exceeding 30%, and children under 16 years old are not allowed to enter, with these markets being closed on Friday and Saturday of every week. 27- The continued operation of wholesale markets with a capacity not exceeding 30%, and children under 16 years old are not allowed to enter. 28- Closing beauty and hair salons 29- Amusement parks and all entertainment centers continue to be closed. 30- The continued closure of health clubs and physical training clubs, the stopping of massage services, saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzi services, and Moroccan and Turkish baths. 31- The continued closure of all swimming pools and water parks. 32- Continuing to stop providing medical services in private health facilities, except in emergency cases, and allowing any of these facilities to provide some of their medical services that can be provided through modern means of communication. 33- Not to allow cleaning and hospitality companies to provide their services during working hours to the establishments contracting with them, to allow their services to be provided with a full capacity outside the working hours of those establishments, and to allow the provision of their services at home by one person only while adhering to the special requirements set by the Ministry of Public Health in coordination with the Ministry trade and Industry. In this regard, adherence to health requirements, procedures, precautionary measures and controls determined by the Ministry of Public Health. The Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and other government agencies, each in its own jurisdiction, shall take the necessary measures in this regard, to ensure compliance with health requirements, procedures, and prescribed precautionary measures. These decisions shall be effective as of Friday 9/4/2021, until further notice. The Council noted the measures that have been taken regarding the adoption of the distance education system, the suspension of student attendance in all public and private universities, schools and kindergartens, and the continuation of the current travel and return policy to the State of Qatar.