Qatar has stepped up its fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic by deploying robots to patrol in the streets of the country in an effort to avoid violations on its imposed public gathering ban to curb the virus spread.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has started using robots equipped with eight cameras to monitor streets and public places in Qatar and urge the community to adhere to the social distancing directive.

The robots known as "Al-Asas", according to Marsal Qatar’s official handle, will monitor public areas across the State and provide support in reducing person-to-person encounters between police personnel and violators.

To ensure the public's safety from Covid-19, Qatar has banned all forms of public gatherings during the outbreak and implemented stringent penalties for those who breach the regulation.

A three-year jail term and QR200,000 fine will be charged to people who are caught violating the following:

• Assembling in public places
• Attending events such as weddings and majlis meetings
• Participating in group prayers including: on courtyards of mosques, inside buildings or rooftops, among others.

Qatar has also started using drones with built-in speakers to encourage the public to stay home or practice social distancing to prevent virus transmission.

The messages are being announced in different languages such as English, Urdu, Hindi, Nepalese, Malayalam, Tamil and Sinhalese.