Qatar and COVID-19, Part 5: Can it Protect Gains Against the Virus as the Economy and Schools Continue to Reopen?

Phase 3 Re-Opening

August 1, 2020 represents to significant events.  First, Phase 3 re-opening in Qatar is now in effect.  And the Muslim population is celebrating the Eid holiday.  Since July 19, 2020, new COVID-19 cases in Qatar have fallen below 400 cases per day.  The last time we saw new cases below 400 was March 14, 2020.  

Admissions to ICU have dropped to the single digits.  Deaths of one to three people a day continue, with a few days in which no one has lost his or her life.  Since July 23, 2020, people as young as 23 and as old as 91 have died.  But, the death toll remains quite low despite the very high numbers of reported infections per 1 million population (39,571/1 mill. -- the highest in the world). By the end of July, the death toll stood at 174.  

Experts attribute these results to several factors: a younger population, good medical care, an aggressive testing program, a well-managed contact tracing program, significant compliance among residents with rules governing social distancing and mask wearing, widespread compliance with stay-at-home guidelines, quarantine procedures, and the enforced use of the EHTERAZ phone app that allows admittance to businesses, hospitals, and other venues.  

While these pre-cautionary measures and clear government policy statements and requirements have created an opportunity to relax international travel restrictions and open mosques, businesses, private and government offices, schools, restaurants, gyms, beauty salons and barbershops, and recreational areas, the future remains uncertain.  On August 1, I saw posts on Facebook complaining of the crowds on the Corniche and in swimming pools in The Pearl.  People were apparently not social distancing or wearing masks.  A spike in new cases over the next month could lead to the re-imposition of lock down orders. 

This blog provides easy access to trends in infection, hospitalization, and deaths and to the ongoing changes in government policy in light of infection rates. 

For a summary of what we know about the virus, see here. 

These charts trace the history of the pandemic in Qatar. 

Qatar's Response to the Pandemic:  The Ongoing Timeline 

What follows is a time-line I created to track mostly Qatar's response to the pandemic,  Tangentially and for comparison, it refers to developments in the US, China, EU, and other countries.  For its sourcing, I have relied on The Peninsula Qatar, Gulf News, Gulf Times, Qatar Tribune, Al Jazzeera, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.  I often reproduce content from the original source without using quotation marks, but I always include a link to the original source.

I include photos that tie to the more important posts, so you can use them to help locate specific information.

I pick-up my daily updates here.   My updates for December 31, 2019 to April 30, 2020, appear in my Part 1 post.  Posts for Part 2, May 1 to May 31, appear here.  Posts for Part 3, June 1 to June 30, appear here.  Posts for Part 4, July 1 to July 31, appear here. 

August 1:  Qatar reported 216 new cases, bringing total to 110,911.  Officials have tested 498,666 people, with 3,289 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 107,578.  ICU patients currently number 75, with 1 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 174.

Officials add more affordable quarantine options for incoming foreign workers with modest incomes. 

Ministry provides guidelines for home quarantine for residents returning to the country from low-risk countries.  According to a recent announcement by the government those who are eligible for a home quarantine include those arriving to Qatar from Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, China, Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Malta, Finland, Hungary, South_Korea, Estonia, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Japan, Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Denmark, Morocco, Poland, France, Australia, Canada, Slovenia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Czechia, Austria, Switzerland, Algeria, Turkey , Iceland, Spain, Croatia, and Andorra.

Officials offer service for Exceptional Entry Permit.  It is a temporary service that is provided to residents of the State of Qatar who are unable to return to the country because of the restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).  This service allows employers, whether individuals or companies, government or private sector, to apply for an entry permit for residents and their family members holding QIDs to enable them to return to the State of Qatar.

 

August 2:  Qatar reported 196 new cases, bringing total to 111,107.  Officials have tested 500,536 people, with 1,870 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 107,779.  ICU patients currently number 76, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. Three deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 48, 60, and 71 years old.  The death toll stands at 177.

The last time Qatar reported new cases below 200 was April 3, 2020. 

India is third behind the United States and Brazil in confirmed coronavirus infections, but its new cases are climbing at the fastest rate in the world.  

The United States recorded more than 1.9 million new infections in July, nearly 42 percent of the more than 4.5 million cases reported nationwide since the pandemic began and more than double the number documented in any other month, according to data compiled by The New York Times. The previous monthly high came in April, when more than 880,000 new cases were recorded.  The virus is picking up dangerous speed in much of the Midwest — and in states from Mississippi to Florida to California that thought they had already seen the worst of it. Gone is any sense that the country may soon get a hold of the pandemic. The seven-day average for daily new infections has hovered around 65,000 for the past two weeks, more than doubling the peak average from the spring, when the country experienced what was essentially its first wave.  In many states, distressed government officials are re-tightening restrictions on residents and businesses, and sounding warnings about a rise in virus-related hospitalizations.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the doctor advising the White House on the coronavirus. She warns that we are entering a “new phase” of the pandemic, when the virus is everywhere and is spreading at such a pace that we could see more than 300,000 deaths by the end of the year. On Saturday, the national daily death toll from Covid-19 reached 1,198, exceeding 1000 for the sixth day in a row.

Russia plans to launch a nationwide vaccination campaign in October with a coronavirus vaccine that has yet to complete clinical trials, raising international concern about the methods the country is using to compete in the global race to inoculate the public.

Worldwide, in mid-July, more than 1 million cases were reported globally in just four days, indicating its accelerating spread.

August 3:  Qatar reported 215 new cases, bringing total to 111,322.  Officials have tested 502,792 people, with 2,256 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 108,002.  ICU patients currently number 75, with 2 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 177.

Quarantine procedures for people arriving in Qatar take effect.

The US, which leads the world in infections and deaths, reported 4,813,647 infected people with 158,365 deaths. 

Worldwide, 18,252,276 have been infected with the virus, with 693,116 deaths. 

August 4:  Qatar reported 216 new cases, bringing total to 111,538.  Officials have tested 505,148 people, with 2,356 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 108,254.  ICU patients currently number 73, with 2 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 177.

Officials republish information about 3-phase school re-opening. 

To play more effective role in creating awareness about COVID-19 among migrant workers, Better Connections program of the Ministry of Transport and Communications will provide over 400 computers at self-isolation residences in labour cities.

August 5:  Qatar reported 267 new cases, bringing total to 112,092.  Officials have tested 511,000 people, with 2,921 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 108,831.  ICU patients currently number 77, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. One person died.  The death toll stands at 178.

August 6:  Qatar reported 287 new cases, bringing total to 111,805.  Officials have tested 508,079 people, with 2,931 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 108,254.  ICU patients currently number 75, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 178.

Officials announce that residents are exempted from fees due to the expiry of their residence permits.  “Residents who are outside the country due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic are exempted from fees resulting from the expiry of their residence permits or exceeding 6 months stay outside the country.”  Qatar has started accepting applications from residents who have QIDs for exceptional entry permits, which will allow them to return to the country.

August 7:  As the Eid holiday ends, Qatar reported 291 new cases, bringing total to 112,383.  Officials have tested 513,930 people, with 2,930 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 109,142.  ICU patients currently number 82, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. Two deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 64 and 75 years old.  The death toll stands at 180.

As number of infections and ICU admissions tick up, officials urge people to follow precautionary measures.  

Officials recommend that people quit using tobacco products, including shisha, during the pandemic. 

More mosques open for Friday prayers

August 8:  Qatar reported 267 new cases, bringing total to 112,650.  Officials have tested 516,825 people, with 2,895 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 109,438.  ICU patients currently number 78, with 3 admissions in the last 24 hours. Two deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 65 and 70 years old.  The death toll stands at 182.

August 9:  Qatar reported 297 new cases, bringing total to 112,947.  Officials have tested 520,320 people, with 3,535 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 109,709.  ICU patients currently number 80, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. Two deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 23 and 57 years old.  The death toll stands at 184.

Effective 13 August, Qatar Airways requires passengers travelling from specific airports in certain countries to present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR medical test result when checking in. These countries are Bangladesh, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. The airline will also require the tests for passengers from India, Nepal, Nigeria and Russia, when service returns to these countries.  Tests must be issued within 72 hours before departure, from laboratories that are approved by Qatar Airways, and paid for at the passenger's expense.  Those that do not have a copy of their medical test certificate alongside a consent form will not be permitted to travel on Qatar Airways flights. Children below the age of 12 years are exempt from this test if accompanied by family members that have presented a negative test result.

Forty percent of persons infected with coronavirus show no symptoms.  They may be a key to finding vaccines and treatments.   

August 10:  Qatar reported 315 new cases, bringing total to 113,262.  Officials have tested 524,466 people, with 4,106 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 109,993.  ICU patients currently number 75, with 2 admissions in the last 24 hours. Four deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 46, 57, 60, and 60 years old.  The death toll stands at 188.

In the last two weeks of July, 100,000 US kids tested positive for the virus. It was a 40 percent increase in confirmed cases among kids. Surveying 49 states, New York City, Puerto Rico and Guam, the summary showed that children made up between 3 and 11 percent of total state tests. Between 3.6 and 17.8 percent of children tested positive for the virus. Not all states reported hospitalizations of children, but among those that did, children made up 0.6 percent to 3.7 percent. 

"Poll after poll, most recently a Gallup poll from July 13, has found American men are more likely to not wear masks compared to women. Specifically, the survey found that 34 percent of men compared to 54 percent of women responded they “always” wore a mask when outside their home and that 20 percent of men said they “never” wore a mask outside their home (compared to just 8 percent of women).  Some see masks as weakness, and men, regardless of politics or race or sexuality, don’t like being seen as weak. The coronavirus has issued an undeniable taunt to American men on their home turf, and some have chosen to prove their virility through risk with no foreseeable reward. It’s a narrow vision of manhood that ignores other tropes like self-sacrifice and being a protector; performative masculinity for an audience of one that puts many more people at risk. And the solution would be so easy, if it weren’t left in the hands of the manliest men in the country. “The notion is masculinity is a status that you constantly have to prove,” Peter Glick, a Lawrence University professor and senior scientist at the Neuroleadership Institute, told me. Glick specializes in overcoming biases and stereotyping. “Any sort of stumble is perceived [as you losing your masculinity]. So if you do have a stumble, then you have to reestablish it. And if you perceive a mask as ‘Oh, I’m scared of this little virus’ — that’s weakness.”  The term for this phenomenon is called “precarious manhood,” coined by Joseph A. Vandello and Jennifer K. Bosson, researchers from the University of South Florida."

August 11: Qatar reported 384 new cases, bringing total to 113,646.  Officials have tested 529,289 people, with 4,823 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 110,324.  ICU patients currently number 77, with 6 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 188. 

Online registration for Qatari schools opens on August 23. 

New studies show neurological impacts in children and adults from the viral infection, including encephalitis, that could affect future brain growth.  One-third of the children admitted to hospitals for COVID-13 end up in ICU. 

Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia had approved a coronavirus vaccine — with no evidence from large-scale clinical trials. Russia is taking a dangerous step by jumping ahead of so-called Phase 3 trials, which can determine that the vaccine works better than a placebo and doesn’t cause harm to some people who get it.  In a large, randomized control Phase 3 trial, researchers give the vaccine or a placebo to tens of thousands of people, and wait for them to encounter the virus in the real world.  “Then you wait to see, do they get sick or not. Do they die or not?” said Dr. Steven Black, a vaccine expert with the Task Force for Global Health. If a vaccine is effective, fewer vaccinated volunteers will get sick than the ones who received the placebo.  The vaccine was made from an adenovirus — a harmless cold virus — carrying a coronavirus gene, similar to what AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are using in their vaccines. The technology is still relatively new: The first adenovirus vaccine for any disease was approved for Ebola in June.  On Tuesday, the Russian institute put up a website claiming that a Phase 3 trial would begin the next day involving more than 2,000 people in Russia as well as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Mexico.  All other Phase 3 trials of coronavirus vaccines currently underway are more than ten times larger than that, with 30,000 volunteers apiece.

August 12:  Qatar reported 292 new cases, bringing total to 113,938.  Officials have tested 533,995 people, with 4,706 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 110,6275.  ICU patients currently number 75, with 3 admissions in the last 24 hours. Two deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 40 and 86 years old.  The death toll stands at 190.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) launched a COVID-19 environmental testing pilot, in partnership with a number of governmental, educational and research institutions in Qatar, to support and enhance surveillance and contact tracing efforts. During the pilot phase, innovative technology was used to collect surface, air, and wastewater samples and test for the presence of COVID-19. Results will allow the authorities to detect the presence of the virus and monitor any potential spread earlier through its concentration in wastewater. It will also help assess the efficacy of cleaning protocols to remove viral contamination in different environments.

In a study still needing peer-review, a research team at the University of Florida succeeded in isolating live virus from aerosols collected at a distance of seven to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with Covid-19 — farther than the six feet recommended in social distancing guidelines.  The study has caused a stir among scientists. They also bred the virus from these aerosols, thus seeming to confirm possible aerosol infection. “If this isn’t a smoking gun, then I don’t know what is,” Dr. Marr tweeted last week.  But some experts said it still was not clear that the amount of virus recovered was sufficient to cause infection.

August 13:  Qatar reported 343 new cases, bringing total to 114,281.  Officials have tested 538,602 people, with 4,607 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 110,957.  ICU patients currently number 74, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 190.

Hamad International Airport is applying modified procedures for arriving passengers. The airport has customized its procedures based on the categorization of arriving passengers:

• Group One: Qatari citizens, their spouses and children, permanent residency holders.
• Group Two: Vulnerable passengers that have certain identified medical conditions or are aged 55 and above.
• Group Three: Passengers arriving from ‘low-risk countries.’
• Group Four: Passengers arriving from ‘high-risk countries.

All arriving passengers will be thermally screened at the airport. Passengers must have the EHTERAZ mobile application downloaded and installed on a smartphone which requires a SIM card. Volunteers are available to help set up passengers with the EHTERAZ App. Smartphones and SIM cards are also available for purchase at the airport.  All passengers must fill out a health assessment form and sign a quarantine pledge agreement, preferably filled prior to arrival into Doha and submitted upon arrival. Passengers arriving from ‘high-risk countries’ will proceed to immigration whilst presenting their hotel booking to the immigration officer. Once all arrival formalities have been completed, passengers will be transported to their quarantine hotel with Discover Qatar.  All other arriving passengers will be diverted to designated airport testing facilities where they will receive swab tests. Once testing is complete, passengers will then proceed to immigration for entry processing. Those passengers can use private transportation to their home quarantine. The airport’s taxi pavilion is also available.

Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has revised the list of low risk countries on its website. People travelling from these countries to Qatar can do home quarantine for a week after taking a Covid-19 test at the airport.  The list includes 40 countries. 

Officials require schools to provide information to parents to make distance learning more successful. Among other things, they have established computer specifications.

Chair of the National Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, said that there is a worrying trend of increase in the number of Covid-19 case among Qatar nationals and expat professionals. He said that the increase in infections after the Eid Al-Adha holidays is bigger than the increase that happened after Eid Al-Fitr.  Officials are warning people that failure to adhere to precautions could delay Phase 4 of reopening. 

Officials advise how to create a safe zone within a house to keep older family members safer. 

US reports highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since mid-May at nearly 1,500. The country has now seen its seven-day average of newly reported deaths remain above 1,000 for 17 consecutive days. Georgia reported 105 deaths Wednesday, marking its second triple-digit day in a row. North Carolina reported an additional 45 deaths Wednesday, tying its highest daily number, from July 29. Texas reported 324 additional deaths from the disease.

August 14:  Qatar reported 251 new cases, bringing total to 114,532.  Officials have tested 542,518 people, with 3,916 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 111,258.  ICU patients currently number 71, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 190.

New Zealand is tracing the source of a cluster of cases after experiencing 102 days without a confirmed infection.  The cluster involves a genetic variant of the virus not seen previously in the country. 

August 15:  Qatar reported 277 new cases, bringing total to 114,809.  Officials have tested 546,285 people, with 3,767 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 111,505.  ICU patients currently number 69, with 6 admissions in the last 24 hours. Two deaths occurred in the last 24 hours of persons 75 and 81 years old.  The death toll stands at 192.

Officials approve the reopening of 19 nurseries.  Precautions will apply.  The nurseries are:

Woodberry Nursery, Honeypot Nursery – Aziziya, Muaither Modern Nursery, Little Leaders Nursery – Abu Hamour, Creative Kids Nursery, Sussex for Early Education, Dreamers Nursery, Grandma Nursery – Al Waab, Pink and Blue Nursery, Busy Hands Nursery, Babyland Nursery, Baby Star Nursery, Primrose Nursery, PreScholars Nursery, Smurf Nursery, Al Reem Nursery, Bright Beginnings Nursery, Erin Mills Nursery and Apple Tree Nursery.

Officials issue reminder that massage services remain suspended. 

Officials remind people that no more than four persons may ride in a vehicle. This includes the driver. Families are exempted from the said measure.  

Officials remind people that face masks are mandatory.

In recently updated guidance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that people who have recovered from the coronavirus do not need to quarantine or seek testing for three months after they have recuperated.  The new recommendation, last updated Aug. 3, cautions that those who were previously infected should still socially distance and wear masks but says they don’t need to quarantine or be tested unless they develop symptoms.  “Contrary to media reporting today, this science does not imply a person is immune to reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the 3 months following infection,” the spokesperson, Jason McDonald.

Nearly 41 percent of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse, a new CDC survey revealed.  I blogged about strategies for coping with isolation here. 

US has confirmed at least 5,270,000 cases and endured at least 164,000 deaths.

Greece on Friday extended a midnight curfew on bars and restaurants, as well as a 50-person cap on public gatherings in areas with increasing coronavirus cases. Greece reported 262 new positive infections on Wednesday — its highest daily count yet — and 204 on Thursday. 

Spain on Friday issued a ban on nightclubs, late-night-drinking, and smoking and drinking in public after the country recorded 2,935 new cases and 8,000 since Wednesday. Spain was one of the epicenters of the virus in March and April, and the country went into a strict lockdown to flatten its curve. Since reopening, however, the tourism-reliant country has seen stark spikes in new cases again. More than 28,000 people have officially died of covid-19 there.

Italy on Friday announced that holidaymakers returning from Spain, Greece, Croatia and Malta would now have to be tested for the virus, amid growing concern in Europe over the case counts in those countries.

On Friday, Germany expanded its travel warning for Spain, marking the whole country except for the Canary Islands now as high-risk and requiring covid-19 tests for all returnees.

Worldwide, at least 21,200,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus, with at least 762,000 deaths. 

August 16: Qatar reported 271 new cases, bringing total to 115,080.  Officials have tested 551,273 people, with 4,988 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 111,794.  ICU patients currently number 74, with 5 admissions in the last 24 hours. One death, of a 74-year old, brings the death toll to 193.

Experts again caution residents to stay vigilant against the virus and to continue with all precautionary measures. 

Ten more nurseries may open.  They are: Koala Nursery, Montezine Nursery, Encyclopaedic Child – Ezdan 23, Tiny Town, Little Montessori Nursery, Bambinos, Dar Al Hanan Nursery, Modern Caring World Nursery, Malak Al Abrar Nursery, and Royal Kids Nursery.

August 17: Qatar reported 288 new cases, bringing total to 115,368.  Officials have tested 555,970 people, with 4,697 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 112,088.  ICU patients currently number 69, with 6 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

August 18:  Qatar reported 293 new cases, bringing total to 115,661.  Officials have tested 560,990 people, with 5,020 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 112,355.  ICU patients currently number 68, with 3 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

Officials provide guidelines for creating safe zones at home for elderly family members. 

Qatar has ordered the largest number ever of vaccine for seasonal flu / influenza, Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, said. “The vaccines for seasonal flue are expected to be available by end of next month at all health centers free of cost,” he added urging people to get vaccinated.  Health experts have worried that the two seasons flu and COVID-19 would overlap this winter, creating burdens on hospitals. 

August 19:  Qatar reported 295 new cases, bringing total to 115,956.  Officials have tested 566,013 people, with 5,023 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 112,658.  ICU patients currently number 66, with 2 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

As part of the gradual lifting of restrictions imposed in Qatar as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) publishes a list of low risk countries and people travelling to Qatar from these countries can do home quarantine for even days. The list is reviewed every two weeks.  If there are accredited COVID-19 testing centres in one of these low-risk countries, obtaining a Covid-free certificate from one of these centres exempts the traveller from taking the test at the airport on arrival in the country, provided that the date of obtaining the certificate does not exceed 48 hours before traveling.

August 20:  Qatar reported 268 new cases, bringing total to 112,924.  Officials have tested 572,273 people, with 6,260 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 112,924.  ICU patients currently number 64, with42 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) announced changes to its previous three-phase back-to-school plan for the 2020/21 academic year. The new plan will apply blended learning during the first semester of the next academic year.  A combination of online and classroom-based learning will be implemented in all stages of education across public and private schools, preschools and the higher education institutions. Based on the new approach, students will attend to school premises once or twice a week, with a maximum attendance rate of 30% of school capacity per day. This will allow students to attend basic classes and conduct laboratory experiments and tests. Distance learning will take place on the days when students do not attend to school as per the school schedule of each school.  According to the blended learning model, students will take the mid-semester and end-of-semester exams at school premises. Schools will be responsible for planning the exam schedules to ensure that physical distancing is maintained.

August 21:  Qatar reported 257 new cases, bringing total to 116,481.  Officials have tested 577,122 people, with 4,849 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 113,216.  ICU patients currently number 66, with 5 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

Officials approve the reopening of more nurseries. The 18 nurseries which are added in the third lists for reopening include Acorn Nursery, My Care Nursery, Al Fereej Nursery, Smart Start Nursery, Leap Ahead Nursery, Al Khuloud Nursery, Kids Garden Nursery, Barara Nursery - Al Aziziya, Birds Nursery, Rainbow Nursery, Educate Me Nursery, Snow White Nursery, Happy Kids Nursery, Life Time Nursery, Kidzone Nursery 3, Al Baraem Nursery, Grandma Nursery 3 and Al Joury Nursery.

August 22:  Qatar reported 284 new cases, bringing total to 116,765.  Officials have tested 584,123 people, with 7,001 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 113,531.  ICU patients currently number 65, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

Officials provide information and requirements for the blended learning environment for students. 

August 23:  Qatar reported 243 new cases, bringing total to 117,008.  Officials have tested 589,920 people, with 5,797 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 113,808.  ICU patients currently number 68, with 3 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 193.

A physician discusses her experience on the front lines of the pandemic in Qatar. 

The Ministry will train government employees so they can safely implement Phase 4 re-opening. 

Do are brains numb us to the risk of the virus?  Yes. Social scientists have long known that we perceive risks that are acute, such as an impending tsunami, differently than chronic, ever-present threats like car accidents. Part of what’s happening is that covid-19 — which we initially saw as a terrifying acute threat — is morphing into more of a chronic one in our minds. That shift likely dulls our perception of the danger, risk perception expert Dale Griffin said.  This habituation stems from a principle well-known in psychological therapy: The more we’re exposed to a given threat, the less intimidating it seems. Psychologists draw on this principle to treat people’s extreme phobias in an approach called exposure therapy. If patients have a paralyzing fear of spiders, a therapist might encourage them to stay in the same room with a spider or even touch it.  As the pandemic drags on, people are unknowingly performing a kind of exposure therapy on themselves, said University of Oregon psychologist Paul Slovic, author of “The Perception of Risk” — and the results can be deadly. The end result of all this desensitizing is a kind of overriding heedlessness decoupled from evidence — the anti-mask movements, the beach gatherings, the overflowing dance parties. And experts say this backsliding is predictable — in the face of what feels a threat.  What’s more, the way we assess cost and reward in this pandemic discourages us from taking actions that keep the virus in check, Slovic said. One of the best ways to reinforce a certain behavior is to make sure that behavior is rewarded and that deviations from it are punished (or ignored). But when it comes to lifesaving behaviors such as mask-wearing or staying home from parties, this reward-punishment calculus gets turned on its head.  With parties, when you do the right thing and stay home, “you feel an immediate cost: You’re not able to be with your friends,” Slovic said. He added that while there is an upside to this decision — helping to stop the spread of the virus — it feels distant. “The benefit is invisible, but the costs are very tangible.”  By contrast, Slovic said, when you flout guidelines about wearing masks or avoiding gatherings, you get an immediate reward: You rejoice at not having to breathe through fabric, or you enjoy celebrating a close friend’s birthday in person.  Our tendency to view risk through the prism of emotion also hurts us during a pandemic. To gauge whether to take a particular risk, we usually look to how we feel about it.  Because risk perception fails as we learn to live with covid-19, Griffin and other researchers are calling for the renewal of tough government mandates to curb virus spread. They see measures such as strict social distancing, enforced masking outside the home and stay-at-home orders as perhaps the only things that can protect us from our own faulty judgment.  But these kinds of measures aren’t enough on their own, Griffin said. It’s also important for authorities to supply in-your-face reminders of those mandates, especially visual cues, so people won’t draw their own erroneous conclusions about what’s safe.

As India approaches a total of three million confirmed coronavirus cases — the third highest globally after the United States and Brazil — the South Asian nation continues its delicate balance between allowing public life like major religious festivals to go ahead while also adding restrictions aimed at thwarting the virus.

Worldwide, deaths exceeded 800,000 with increasing deaths in South America and the Caribbean.  Boliva may have the highest death rate in the world based on overall death statistics.  The sobering milestone served as a reminder of the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, which has proved to be one of the most lethal in a generation.  By comparison, the most recent pandemic caused by the H1N1 flu virus, in 2009, claimed between 151,700 and 575,400 lives, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death toll as of Saturday also ticked closer to that of a 1968 pandemic, caused by the H3N2 flu virus, which was estimated to have caused roughly one million deaths worldwide.

August 24:  Qatar reported 258 new cases, bringing total to 117,266.  Officials have tested 594,215 people, with 4,295 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 114,099.  ICU patients currently number 67, with 2 admissions in the last 24 hours. A 63-year old died, bring in the death toll to  194.  Active cases finally dropped below 3,000. 

Discover Qatar amends qurantine hotel rules.  Demand is high, bookings are non-refundable, and you cannot amend the dates of the booking.  Very few rooms remain for August.

 

Passengers from Turkey require a COVID test from an accredited health center. 

Scientists have created a new form of pool testing for the virus that will save time and money.  In one typical iteration, the Israeli team took samples of 384 people and divided them into 48 pools, so that each person’s sample wound up in a unique set of six pools. Each of the 48 pools was then tested. If one person was positive for the virus, then each of the six pools containing that sample should test positive — resulting in a unique combination of positive pools revealing the identity of the person (or people) carrying the virus. The algorithm optimizes the design of its pools according to the expected prevalence of the virus, making it possible to pinpoint all of the positive individuals in a batch, as long as the total number of positives does not sharply exceed the expected number.

Researchers in Hong Kong are reporting the first confirmed case of reinfection with the coronavirus.  “An apparently young and healthy patient had a second case of Covid-19 infection which was diagnosed 4.5 months after the first episode,” University of Hong Kong researchers said Monday in a statement.  The report is of concern because it suggests that immunity to the coronavirus may last only a few months in some people. And it has implications for vaccines being developed for the virus.

August 25:  Qatar reported 232 new cases, bringing total to 117,498.  Officials have tested 599,447 people, with 5,232 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 114,318.  ICU patients currently number 68, with 5 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 194.  A portion of new cases are among arriving travelers. 

Qatar University issued updated guidelines for the Fall 2020 semester, and moved most classes to online learning. 

Qatar will support a research project designed to track evidence of the coronavirus in waste water. 

August 26:  Qatar reported 244 new cases, bringing total to 117,742.  Officials have tested 604,112 people, with 4,665 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 114,558.  ICU patients currently number 63, with 1 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 194.

The results of a recent online survey show widespread support for online learning for the Fall 2020 semester among parents. 

Ministry announces the precautionary measures for returning to school, including testing for employees and staff.

Supreme Committee for Crisis Management has announced that it has been decided to split Phase Four into two phases. The first phase will begin on 1 September.  The first phase will include the following:

• Reopening of all mosques in the country to perform daily and Friday prayers, provided that precautionary measures are followed. Toilets and ablution facilities remain closed.
• Continuing to follow the Council of Ministers’ decision, which limits the capacity in workplaces to a maximum of 80% of employees in both the public and private sectors.
• Allowing gatherings of a maximum of 15 people indoors and 30 people outdoors.
• Allowing weddings with a maximum of 40 people indoors and 80 people outdoors, provided that precautionary measures are followed, including activating the Ehteraz application, maintaining a distance of two meters between tables with a maximum of 5 people per table, and avoiding handshakes and kisses while greeting. Individuals holding parties at home, as well as managers of wedding venues, are required to keep records of the contact information of all invitees.
• Opening of cinemas and theaters with a capacity of 15%, provided that precautionary measures are followed and that only people who are 18 years and above are allowed entry.
•Playgrounds and leisure centres remain closed.
• Allowing local exhibitions with a capacity of 30%, according to the procedures which will be announced by the National Tourism Council.
• Resuming metro and public transport services with a capacity of 30% according to the procedures which will be announced by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
• Continuing to allow personal boats and yacht rentals with a capacity of 30%, including boat workers.
• Continuing to follow Qatar’s travel policy. The Ministry of Public Health will continue to update the list of low-risk countries periodically.
• Continuing the operation of driving schools with a capacity of 50%.
• Continuing the suspension of summer camps, as well as the use of sports equipment, in public parks.
• Allowing audiences to attend sporting events with a capacity of 20% indoors and 30% outdoors, according to procedures which will be announced by the relevant authorities.
• Allowing private health clinics to resume work in full capacity.
• Continuing normal working hours at malls while keeping capacity to 50%, and opening food courts in malls with a capacity of 30%. Allowing children to enter malls.
• Allowing the increase in restaurant capacity starting with 30%, according to the procedures which will be set by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Allowing souks to operate with a 75% capacity and raising the capacity at wholesale markets to 50%.
• Allowing museums and public libraries to operate in full capacity and normal hours provided that all precautionary measures are followed.
• Continuing the work of health clubs, gyms and public swimming pools at half capacity (50%) and allowing massage and sauna services at a capacity of 30% in approved facilities, as well as opening indoor swimming pools at a capacity of 30%.
• Continuing the suspension of home services of beauty, barber, massage, and fitness training.
• Continuing the work of private education and training centers at a capacity of 50%.
• Resuming cleaning and hospitality services in workplaces at a capacity of 30% as well as allowing the resumption of these services at homes.

"The Supreme Committee for Crisis Management emphasizes that the evaluation of lifting further measures depends on the cooperation of all and the commitment to following precautionary measures, including wearing masks while outside, washing hands, maintain a safe distance, and activating the Ehteraz application," the statement added.

Making sure that your kids get a yearly flu shot is always a good idea, but even more so this fall, as the coronavirus continues to spread throughout much of the United States. Cold and flu season always brings a host of respiratory viruses and runny noses, but this year there’s the possibility of getting both the flu and Covid-19. So public health leaders are urging everyone to get the flu vaccine to both protect ourselves and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with sick patients. “Every time you get a virus it can predispose you to having another infection on top of it,” said Flor M. Muñoz, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and the lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations for preventing influenza.  Doctors say it’s best not to put off getting the vaccine. As the school year gets busy, it can become more difficult to find time for an appointment. Plus, if you wait until the end of October, Covid-19 cases could increase in your area, making it riskier to visit a clinic or doctor’s office to get the flu vaccine. If it’s already November or December and your kids haven’t yet gotten vaccinated, don’t be discouraged. Have them get vaccinated as soon as possible.  And even if your kids don’t get the vaccination and then come down with the flu, you should still get them vaccinated when they recover, because everyone can get the flu more than once, Dr. Muñoz said.

August 27:  Qatar reported 246 new cases, bringing total to 117,988.   Officials have tested 609,258 people, with 5,146 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 114,797.  ICU patients currently number 66, with 7 admissions in the last 24 hours.  The death of an 83-year old brings the death toll to 194.  Active cases stand at 2,996.

More on the back-to-school guidelines for students.  Advice for applying for exemptions from on-campus learning. 

Officials arrested six people for violating home quarantine, referred them for prosecution, and published their names in local news sources. 

Officials will open 150 additional mosques on August 28.

Officials issue detailed guidelines for restaurants reopening on September 1. 

Officials issue guidelines for Phase 4 opening of shopping malls and commercial centers. 

In the US, 5,788,000 people have confirmed infections, with 176,000 deaths.  

Worldwide, the virus has sickened more than 24,150,300 people, according to official counts. As of Thursday morning, at least 824,900 people have died, and the virus has been detected in nearly every country.

August 28:  Qatar reported 208 new cases, bringing total to 118,196.   Officials have tested 614,345 people, with 5,906 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 115,017.  ICU patients currently number 68, with 4 admissions in the last 24 hours.  The death of an 60-year old brings the death toll to 196.  Active cases stand at 2,938.

August 29:  Qatar reported 211 new cases, bringing total to 118,407. Officials have tested 620,128 people, with 5,774 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 115,251.  ICU patients currently number 67, with 7 admissions in the last 24 hours.  The death toll stands at 196.  Active cases stand at 2,960. 

Officials arrested three people and then an additional four people for violating home quarantine, referred them for prosecution, and published their names in local news sources. 

Officials list 26 health care facilities qualified to take the PCR test for the COVID-19 virus in Qatar.  List of facilities here. 

August 30: Qatar reported 168 new cases, bringing total to 118,575. This dip below 200 cases was short-lived.  Officials have tested 624,609 people, with 4,481 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 115,430.  ICU patients currently number 66, with 3 admissions in the last 24 hours.  The death of an 87-year old brings the death toll to 197.  Active cases stand at 2,948. 

Officials arrested five people for violating home quarantine, referred them for prosecution, and published their names in local news sources. 

Doha Festival City Mall announces its Phase 4 procedures. 

Officials explain precautionary measures designed to make a return to schools safe for students. 

Subject to precautionary measures, officials will allow salons, massage parlors, indoor pools, and spas to reopen as of September 15.

• Increasing occupancy rate of men's hairdressing salons and women's beauty centers to 50% of the capacity.
• Allowing the resumption of spa activities, massage services, jacuzzi, Moroccan and Turkish bath services, and indoor swimming pools with a capacity of 30% of the normal capacity in hotels.
• Moroccan and Turkish bath and indoor swimming pools in women's beauty centers and gyms with a capacity of 30% of the normal capacity, provided that the total area of the facility is not less than 250 square meters, subject to obtaining the prior approval of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Opening of facilities that provide massage services, Jacuzzis, Moroccan and Turkish bath services, and indoor swimming pools, which is less than 250 square meters, is postponed to the next phase of gradually lifting of restrictions imposed on spa activities.

India's coronavirus outbreak is now unfolding at the fastest rate in the world at 75,000 new infections a day.

European leaders are considering new lockdowns as new cases rise. 

August 31:  Qatar reported 203 new cases, bringing total to 118,778.  Officials have tested 629,831 people, with 5,222 tests taken in the last 24 hours.  Recovered cases stand at 115,667.  ICU patients currently number 68, with 5 admissions in the last 24 hours. The death toll stands at 197.  Active cases stand at 2,914.

Doha Metro will resume services with precautionary measures in place.  The metro will limit capacity to 30 percent, do temperature checks, and require the green Ehteraz app.  More information here and here.

Schools will not take attendance during the first two weeks of classes.   Officials announce that 98.5 percent of workers in the educational sector are free of coronavirus after they conducted "pre-emptive" testing.

QU provides guidance to students most at risk of catching the virus. Midterm and the final exams for all courses will be conducted on campus regardless of the teaching method of these courses (online or on campus), Qatar University will provide students who are most at risk of being infected by COVID-19 and its complications with separate premises and halls that will be prepared with all precautionary and preventative measures. The University will send those students the guidelines and instructions that should be followed during these exams.  Students who are most at risk of contracting COVID-19 and its complications and are enrolled in courses conducted on campus should request an exception from attending classes on campus and a designated committee will review each case, take the appropriate decision and notify students.  More information here.

India extends ban on international flights, with an exception for Qatar Air.  

Workers in the cleaning and hospitality service industries may begin working again in Phase 4 if they take precautionary measures. 

Ministry discusses the blended learning approach to education. Public and private schools in Qatar will reopen tomorrow, September 1, introducing a new concept of “blended learning” where students will attend school up to a maximum of 2 days a week and rest of the learning will be done online.  Students may seek exemption from in-person classes.

283 public and 334 private schools will welcome 340,000 students. 

The US has reported 31,313 new coronavirus cases and 560 virus-related deaths so far on August 31, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The national total now stands at 6,028,617 Covid-19 cases and 183,579 fatalities.

Worldwide, coronavirus infections soared past 25 million as countries around the world further tightened restrictions to try to stop the rampaging pandemic.  A million additional Covid-19 cases have been detected globally roughly every four days since mid-July, according to an Agence France-Presse tally, with India setting the record for the highest single-day rise in cases with 78,761.  Nearly 843,000 people have died of Covid-19 globally and with no vaccine or effective treatment available yet, governments have been forced to resort to some form of physical distancing and lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus.