The government has Qatar is taking all possible steps to contain the further spread of the coronavirus in the country by proactively bringing out safety measures time to time. These safety measures have helped the country fight the pandemic as the active cases have dropped and recoveries have increased.
In line to bolster the safety measures with reopening of the country in progress, the council of Ministers have announced upgraded safety measures to further the goal of containing the coronavirus spread in the country. here are some of the measure decisions taken by the council of ministers for the safety of the citizens –
- All the citizens are required to download the EHTERAZ app when leaving their homes. The decision was made active from 22 May onwards till further notice.
- All citizens and residents MUST NOT have more than two people in their vehicle. The decision was made active from 19 May onwards till further notice.
- A maximum of three people would be allowed in taxis, limousines, or private vehicles not including the driver.
- Ambulances and vehicles of Ministry of Public Health as well as those of security or military personnel have been excluded from this restriction.
- The number of people transported in buses will be at half the capacity in continuation with the earlier laid precautionary measures. The decision was made active from 19 May onwards till further notice.
- The practice of sports should be done as near as possible to the home in compliance with avoiding gatherings during training and taking necessary precautions such as wearing masks and maintain a safe distance. The decision was made active from 19 May onwards till further notice.
- All commercial activities and closing of shops will be in effect from 19 May to 30 May except food catering shops, pharmacies, and restaurants that provide delivery service. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will further determine the course of other activities exempted from this measure.
The government has also made the norms for non-compliance stricter with heavy fines and even jail time for serious violators. “In the case of non-compliance with these decisions, the penalties stipulated in the Decree-Law No. (17) of 1990 regarding the prevention of infectious diseases shall be applied to the violator by imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years and a fine not exceeding QR 200,000 or one of the penalties”, the revised precautionary measure read.
