Qatar is likely to surpass the administering of 2 million vaccine doses milestone today owing to its rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine rollout in the recent weeks.

The fast vaccination pace initiated by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) resulted in 1,976,748 total of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Qatar to date, under the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

Over 30, 000 vaccine doses were administered in the country in the last 5 days, on a daily basis. This reflects that Qatar is set to cross administering 2 million vaccine doses today.

Based on the data released by MoPH yesterday, a total of 32,120 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in 24 hours.

As of today, 51.5% of the eligible population in the State has received at least 1 dose of the vaccine. Moreover, 88.3% of over 60s (the most vulnerable population group) have been vaccinated with at least 1 dose, while 82.3% have received both doses.

As the number of vaccinated people in Qatar increases, the number of new cases is also declining as 244 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were announced yesterday (151 of them are from community cases, while 93 from travellers returning from abroad).

The Ministry also announced 2 new deaths (aged 56 and 74 years of age) yesterday, all of which had a history of chronic disease and all were receiving the necessary medical care.

Latest Announcements

1. MoPH has recently announced that all people aged 30 and above will be eligible to receive the vaccine after the Eid holidays.

With the inclusion of people aged 30 and above in the national vaccination program, the number of vaccinated people is expected to increase in the country, therefore giving mass protection to society.

2. The validity for quarantine exemption of all vaccines administered in Qatar has been extended (from the previously approved 6 months to 9 months, except for 6 specific countries).

3. Children aged 12 to 15 years OLD are to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Qatar. Parents will be able to register their children to take the vaccine through the MoPH website (www.moph.gov.qa) from tomorrow (Sunday), after which they will be contacted by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).

Offering the vaccine to the children in the above mentioned ages in Qatar will help to ensure a return to greater normality when the school year starts this coming September. 

“Getting our young people vaccinated will not only protect them against the virus but will give us the opportunity to have less restrictions in schools in the future and may significantly reduce the interruptions to the education system that we have seen at times during the pandemic,” said Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation.

4. As the new COVID-19 cases are declining in the country, Qatar has also announced gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions starting May 28. This will take place in 4 phases, with a planned gap of three weeks.

What You Can Do:

• While the restrictions of COVID-19 are gradually being lifted in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following precautionary measures:

Adherence to physical distancing.

Avoid close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where other people congregate.

Wearing a face mask.

Washing hands regularly. 

Most importantly, it is vital that everyone will continue to protect the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. 

Ministry urged anyone with Covid-19 symptoms to immediately contact the MoPH helpline 16000, or go to one of the virus testing centers, as the earlier the disease is detected, the easier and faster the chances of recovery from it.

MoPH reminds all to use a face mask as recommended, download the EHTERAZ app, and avoid social visits to reduce their risk of contracting Covid-19. It also recommends that you visit its website regularly to view the latest information and instructions on the virus.