During the press conference, held by Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on May 7, 2020, Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) said that the past week has seen a fluctuation in the new cases, as at this stage it is expected for Qatar to enter its peak. However, the number of recoveries continues to grow.
This week Qatar has passed the milestone of more than 2,000 recovered cases. It is noteworthy that most of the patients infected with the virus in Qatar experience only mild illness or remain asymptomatic.
Qatar has one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world due to extensive testing and early identification of cases, young population, high-quality care including intensive care options, and protecting most vulnerable groups from catching the infection.
Key messages of the Ministry of Public Health's press conference on COVID-19#YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/xEoqYaPCGH
— مؤسسة حمد الطبية (@HMC_Qatar) May 7, 2020
At the beginning of the outbreak, HMC has put together a proactive plan to significantly expand hospital capacity including Communicable Disease Center (CDC), Hazm Mebaireek Hospital, The Cuban Hospital, Mesaieed, and Ras Laffan hospitals. The expansion plan has seen HMC’s total bed capacity grow from 2,250 beds to 4,860 beds.
By dedicating hospitals for COVID-19, HMC not only provide the best care for infected patients but also ensures patients using other hospitals for other medical services except COVID-19 can do so safely.
HMC also focused on expanding Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity to treat critically ill patients and has potential for more than triple ICU capacity if needed, according to Dr. Ahmed Al Mohammed, Acting Chairman of HMC’s Intensive Care Units.
During the interview on Thursday with Al Jazeera English, HE Dr. Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health said that Qatar is likely to announce mandatory quarantining once flights are resumed and the country will soon see the end of the peak of COVID-19 cases.
Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health, will give an interview on @AJEnglish at 7:30pm, during which she will provide updates on the Coronavirus and #Qatar’s efforts to contain the pandemichttps://t.co/h2ouQMZmwB pic.twitter.com/DuivyGmq9z
— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) May 7, 2020
The Minister explained during her interview that the spread rate has declined. "The general public is fantastic in complying with the directions, following social distancing, and wearing face masks. Best practices are followed, and the country will soon see the end of the peak,” she mentioned.
“Infection rates are not high. As much as 93% of cases are mild while only 1% is in ICU and 5% hospitalized. Recovery rate is high in Qatar and only 12 deaths have been reported. Qatar has the lowest fatality rate like Singapore. We are active in tracing and finding the cases. Persons coming from other countries and those who contacted them are asked to be quarantined at a government facility or home. Cases with high risk are quarantined at government facilities,” she added.
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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