In the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, Qatar has taken a series of measures to safeguard the health of the population.

The extraordinary situation has called for temporary closures of several facilities and services.

However, this challenging time has also seen a number of praiseworthy initiatives emerge in Qatar.

Earlier, this month the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management in Qatar announced that under His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s directives, a support package worth QR 75 billion has been developed for the economic and financial sector.

In line with this, His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani has directed to allocate guarantees amounting to QR3 billion to local banks.

According to directives of HH the Amir to support the economic sector within the framework of precautionary measures to combat the spread of Coronavirus, HE the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior directs to allocate guarantees to local banks of QR 3 billion #QNA pic.twitter.com/qgxuNGom5o

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) March 29, 2020

In a statement, Qatar Central Bank (QCB) said the amount of QR3 billion comes within the support package for granting soft loans and without commissions or fees for the affected companies.

This will allow them to support salaries and rents through guarantees issued by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) to banks operating in the country.

QCB together with QDB will set the standards and mechanisms for the implementation of the incentive.

Meanwhile, health authorities in the country continue to implement the highest level of monitoring, detection, and management procedures to deal with the virus, the public has been advised to follow certain measures to safeguard their health.

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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