Qatar Saturday reports 509 Covid-19 cases, one death and 328 recovereis

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Saturday reported 509 new confirmed Covid-19 cases during the last 24 hours, of which 420 were community cases and 89 were travellers returning from abroad. The ministry also announced the death of a 56 year old patient who was receiving the required medical care. MoPH also recorded 328 recoveries from the virus in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries in Qatar to 160,115. MoPH also said in a statement that 14480 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the past 24 hours bringing the total number of vaccines given so far to 579338. On the current Covid-19 situation in the country, the statement by the Ministry said: “Every day, hundreds of people are becoming sick due to Covid-19 with many requiring admission to hospital to manage their symptoms. “Since February 1, the number of people with Covid-19 admitted to hospital has doubled.” The statement continued, “Qatar's strict quarantine policy for returning travellers enabled us to delay the introduction of new variants into this country for several months but we are now seeing positive Covid-19 cases in the region and in Qatar with the new variants from the United Kingdom. “This new variant is much more contagious and spreads more easily between people than the existing strain and may be associated with an increased severity of the disease “The good news is that the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used in our vaccination programme are effective against the new variants.” The MoPH reminded the public that with the recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following these precautionary measures: adherence to physical distancing; avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where other people congregate; wearing a face mask; and washing hands regularly. Anyone suffering from Covid-19 symptoms should contact the 16000 helpline immediately. This is important as the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it. One can visit the MoPH website for regular updates and new information.