Qatar- 874 new cases of the virus, three deaths, 459 recoveries Friday

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Wednesday reported 874 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) during the last 24 hours, of which 718 were from community and 156 from travellers returning from abroad. The ministry also reported the deaths of three patients aged 55, 81 and 82 respectevely, who were receiving the necessary medical care. The MoPH also recorded 459 recoveries from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 165,003. The MoPH said 867,209 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the start of the national vaccination programme. Of this 25,209 doses were given in the past 24 hours. The health ministry said hundreds of people are becoming sick daily 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. Qatar's strict quarantine policy for returning travellers enabled it to delay the introduction of new variants into this country for several months but it is 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 spread more easily between people than the existing strain and may be associated with increased severity of disease. The good news is that the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being used in Qatar's vaccination programme are effective against the new variants. The pace of the vaccination programme means that there is finally hope of a gradual return to normal for people in Qatar as well as around the world. But this will not happen in the next few weeks or months. Covid-19 will continue to be a threat to health for the majority of 2021 and until all eligible members of our population are vaccinated, people should continue to follow the preventive measures. 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 precautionary measures: *Adherence to physical distancing *Avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where people congregate *Wearing a face mask *Washing hands regularly Anyone suffering from Covid-19 symptoms should contact 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 may visit the MoPH website for regular updates and new information.MENAFN02042021000067011011ID1101852177