Qatar has directed lockdown in the Industrial Area of the country in an effort to curb the coronavirus (Covid-19) spread.

Since March 17, the road starting from the north side of Street 1 to the south side of the Street 32 in the old Industrial Area, and from the east side of the Industrial Area main road to the west side of the water tank road remain closed due to the pandemic.

Here are the precautionary measures and developments in the locked-down area:

• Round-the-clock operations are being conducted by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to ensure the needs of food, medical supplies and others are met.

• During a field visit in the locked-down area, the Ministry briefed the Media and community leaders about the arrangements in place for the workers who are quarantined there

• MoI and medical teams examined and investigated all areas and labour accommodations to provide the necessary medical care for workers.

• The officials distributed sterilisers, masks, and gloves to the workers.

• The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has already set up an outpatient clinic in the area where testing and examinations are done and all the needed medical care is given for free by the Hamad Medical Corporation.

• Educational leaflets have been distributed in more than nine languages by charities and other organisations.

• The area has also been cleansed and sterilised and this contributes to creating a suitable and healthy environment for employment.

• All food items which enter the area are examined by specialists to see their quality and safety.

• The area hosts a large number of companies that take care of their workers and communicate with them around the clock.

• A hospital with a capacity of about 200 beds is under construction, and 2 other hospitals will be built in future.

• Qatar Charity is distributing free food among workers with each basket sufficing one person for 14 days.

• To facilitate the process of money transfer for workers, a number of exchanges are opened in the area to provide uninterrupted services to workers.

• Pharmacies and food supermarkets are also open in the area.

• The awareness campaigns are also being run in about nine languages to raise workers’ understanding of Covid-19  

According to Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Mohammad Al Ghanim, the security commander responsible for Industrial Area, “The workers are our brothers and we seek to protect them with everything we have especially during this crisis. All medical conditions were taken into consideration particularly for the people who have diabetes or stress diseases and others as their health condition is monitored by healthcare professionals around the clock and the authorities are responding to their requirements.”

Brigadier Abdullah Khalifa Al Moftah, Director of the Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Interior added, “We are keen to communicate with community representatives regarding community matters, especially in the Industrial Area.”

The officials stressed that all the efforts were being made to protect workers’ rights and also to prevent spread of Covid-19 in Qatar.