The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Wednesday announced 1,716 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) 4 deaths and 1,844 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 66 and recoveries to 49,413. The total number of active cases at present is 24,116.
The Ministry stated that the ages of patients passed away today are 74, 54 , 56 and 55. While the first three were suffering from several chronic diseases, fourth patient did not have any existing chronic disease. All of them were receiving medical care in intensive care units.  The Ministry offered sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the deceased.
?The Ministry also said that in the last 24 hours 15 new cases have been admitted to intensive care due to health complications, bringing the total number of cases currently in intensive care to 226.
The Ministry said that there has been a slight fall in the number of acute Covid-19 positive patients being admitted to intensive care thanks to the measures taken by the Ministry of Public Health and the concerned authorities to limit the spread of the virus, the most important of them being the early detection of the disease which contributes significantly to reducing the severity of infection.
The Ministry stated that among the new cases, those among expatriate workers were as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected. Workers from different regions of the country are among the infected. The new cases have been identified through track and trace team at the Ministry of Public Health.
Cases of infection have also increased significantly among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected at the workplace or through visits and family gatherings.
The new confirmed cases of infection have been introduced to complete isolation in the various medical facilities in the country, where they receive the necessary healthcare according to the health status of each case.
The Ministry confirmed that because of the efforts to tackle the Covid-19 virus, Qatar has succeeded in flattening the upward trend and reducing the impact of the virus by a large percentage thanks to the decisions to impelemt different bans, the preventive measures taken, and the awareness and cooperation of all members of society.
The Ministry said that Qatar has now started to overcome the phase of the peak of the virus outbreak, with the beginning of its decline, thanks to the measures taken by the state to address it, along with the commitment of the community members to recommendations and preventive instructions, the most important of them being social distancing and and staying at home and not going out except when it is absolutely necessary and using medical masks.
Anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19 should either quickly contact the 16000 helpline or go directly to one of the designated health centers for testing. This is important as the earlier the disease is detected the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it, the Ministry said.
The main screening centers include Muaither Health Centre, Rawdat Al Khail Health Centre, Umm Slal Health Centre and Al Gharafa Health Centre.
The Ministry reaffirmed the necessity for the elderly or those suffering from chronic diseases and their family members to follow strict methods and precautions to reduce the risk of infection with them and work to protect them from infection by refraining from social visits, wearing masks and cleansing the hands when being near them.
The Ministry stated that, based on the extensive data and studies conducted by the concerned authorities in the country Qatar will begin, starting next Monday to lift the restrictions imposed to combat the epidemic gradually in four stages until September 1.
In this context, it is stressed that the application of preventive measures must continue to be implemented throughout the stages of lifting the restrictions, as failure to adhere to precautionary measures during the stages will lead to the return of the virus to the country.
The Ministry also pointed out that the measures applied by the state as early as February, contributed greatly and effectively to controlling the extent of its spread. This also helped in expanding the capacity of the health system to deal with all cases contrary to what happened in some countries that failed to implement precautionary measures early enough, which led to the collapse of their health system and an inability to handle the large numbers of cases.
The Ministry stressed that the decision to gradually lift the restrictions came after a thorough study of the real conditions in Qatar and similar experiences in many countries that have succeeded in limiting the spread of the virus after lifting the restrictions imposed in a gradual manner.
The Ministry said that each stage of the lifting of restrictions will be subject to evaluation and reviews based on the extent of the virus’s spread – as the success of each stage depends on the commitment of everyone in adhering to the the required precautions.
The Ministry also recommended visiting its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions related to Covid-19.
Last updated:Â June 10 2020 04:06 PM
