In today’s coronavirus (COVID-19) statistics, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced that Qatar recorded 687 new cases, 64 new recoveries, and 2 deaths.

The Ministry explained that most of the new cases are due to people from expatriate workers who have been infected with the virus as a result of contact with individuals who have been previously infected.

The remainder of new cases infected with the virus has come from citizens and residents who have contracted the virus from members of their families, who in turn had contracted the virus through their workplaces or other places where they had been too exposed to infected people.

All the new infected cases have been quarantined where they are receiving the necessary medical care. The MoPH stated that most of the COVID-19 cases are experiencing only mild symptoms.

The Ministry states that the two new deaths were of residents, a 96 year old and a 40-year-old patient. Both patients were receiving intensive care and both suffered from chronic diseases. MoPH offered its sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the patients that have died.

The MoPH stresses that over the current period the number of positive cases is expected to fluctuate for several reasons, including the fact that the outbreak of the virus is considered to be entering into the peak stage, after which the number of infections will begin to decrease gradually.

This is in addition to the fact that the Ministry has further stepped up its efforts in tracking COVID-19 transmission chains and expanded the search for infected people by conducting extensive and proactive tests of groups of contacts with people who have been confirmed with the disease previously. The number of tests carried out will always depend on the number of contacts a positive patient has had which therefore has an impact on the number of positive cases reported daily.

Also, many of the recorded cases experience mild symptoms and do not require any medical intervention, but are quarantined and given access to medical care and support. However, it is important to continue to remember that COVID-19 can be severe for the elderly as well as those with chronic diseases.

The MoPH calls on all members of society to stay at home and not go out except in cases of necessity and to implement preventive measures and maintain physical distancing, including in the workplace and public places. The Ministry reminds people to use a face mask as recommended and avoid social visits to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.

For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

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

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