Qatar Airways issues travel alert on coronavirus

In the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in different countries around the world that have resulted in travel restrictions, Qatar’s national airline, Qatar Airways (QA), has issued a travel alert for travelers from certain countries.

According to the travel alert, which is in line with a number of global health warnings and a circular issued by the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, the airline announced some important updates for travelers from China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy.

Only passengers from these countries with onward connections through Hamad International Airport (HIA) will be allowed to travel with the airline, QA said.

This decision does not apply to Qatari citizens and those who possess Qatar Residency Permit. However, they will be asked to stay in a quarantine facility for 14 days based on the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

Travelers arriving in Doha from Hong Kong, Japan, as well as Singapore will undergo screening at HIA. The screening will help in identifying individuals with related symptoms to be taken for further testing. 

“Passengers returning positive test results will be admitted to treatment centers as per the measures of the Ministry of Public Health,” the alert mentions.

QA also said that under the circular from Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, “it is prohibited from carrying all passengers from Egypt via any intermediate point(s), including those who are in possession of a Qatar Residency Permit.”

This will not apply to Qatari nationals. However, they will be subjected to quarantine for 14 days.

The measures are to ensure the safety, security and good health of QA passengers, employees as this the topmost priority for the airline, it said.

“Qatar Airways is working closely with global and national authorities to understand the latest advice and guidance on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and operate our services accordingly,” the airline specified.

“Like all airlines around the world, we have to balance the needs of our millions of passengers with the operational challenges we face due to entry restrictions imposed by a number of countries,” QA said.

Earlier, the airline had announced adjustments to its flights and schedules.

The airline asks all passengers to make sure the data they provide on QA’s ‘Manage Booking’ page is updated, so they can be informed directly about when a flight is affected.

“We encourage all passengers to see real-time flight status for the latest information,” the airline mentioned.

--

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.

Instagram - @qatarliving

Twitter - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living

Source: Qatar Airways