In today’s coronavirus (COVID-19) statistics, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced that Qatar recorded 1732 new cases, 620 new recoveries, and 2 deaths.

During the last 24 hours, 16 new cases have been admitted to intensive care due to complications resulting from the infection, bringing the total number of people currently in intensive care units to 177.

The Ministry states that the new cases are due to expatriate workers who were infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who were previously infected, in addition to recording new cases of infection among groups of workers in different regions. The new cases have been identified after conducting investigations by the research and investigation teams of the Ministry of Public Health that contributed to the early detection of cases.

Cases of infection have also increased among citizens and residents because of contact with infected family members who had been infected in 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 revealed that the number of positive cases between citizens and residents witnessed a significant rise, with the number of infections relating to family gatherings, visits, and sharing meals together with relatives and extended families has doubled.

The Ministry stated that the two new deaths were a 55-year-old whose condition worsened after several days of illness and the second was a 38-year-old who was suffering from chronic diseases. Both patients were receiving necessary medical care in intensive care. The Ministry of Public Health extends its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the two deceased.

The MoPH states that the State of Qatar has now entered the peak phase of the virus outbreak, which is seeing a rise in the number of infections recorded daily. It is therefore more important than ever to strictly follow recommended prevention and social distancing measures.

The Ministry also stresses the importance for the elderly or those suffering from chronic diseases and their family members to follow strict measures to reduce the chances of infection with the virus and to refrain from social visits during the rest of Ramadan as well as on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.

The reasons for the high numbers of new cases are due to the Ministry's redoubling of its efforts in tracking the transitional chains of the virus and expanding the circle of searching for infected people through intensive and proactive investigations of large numbers of contacts with people who have been confirmed with the virus recently.

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 the virus. 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 four main testing centres are:

- Muaither Health Centre

- Rawdat Al Khalil Health Centre

- Um Slal Health Centre

- Al Gharafa Health Centre

Qatar has made it mandatory for all citizens and residents to wear a face mask when stepping out of their homes, for any reason.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself. 

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