Qatar Friday reports 798 Covid-19 cases, six deaths and 1297 recoveries

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Friday reported, 798 new confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19), with 524 of these from community cases and 274 from travellers returning from abroad. The ministry also announced the deaths six patients aged 39, 40, 49, 57, 60 and 69 with three of them having a history of chronic diseases. All were receiving the necessary medical care. The MoPH also recorded 1297 recoveries from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 178,461. According to the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme Data, 1,372,396 vaccine doses have been administered since the start of the programme. *26,973 vaccine doses have been administered in the past 24 hours *39.1% of the eligible population has now received at least one dose of the vaccine *84.2% of over 60s (the most vulnerable population group) have been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 68.8% have received both doses Every day, hundreds of people are becoming sick due to the Covid-19 with many requiring admission to hospital. Since February 1, the number of people with Covid-19 admitted to hospital has doubled. Qatar's strict quarantine policy for returning travellers has enabled 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 South Africa. This new variant is much more contagious and spreads 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 our 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 us here in Qatar and people around the world. But this will not happen in the next few weeks or months. Covid-19 will continue to be a threat to our health for the majority of 2021 and until all eligible members of our population have been vaccinated, we must 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 can Visit the MoPH website for regular updates and new information.MENAFN23042021000067011011ID1101971275