Could Qatar be facing yet another Covid-19 wave just months before the much-awaited FIFA 2022 World Cup?

Qatar’s daily reported Covid-19 numbers have exceeded the 602 mark for the first time since February—less than a month after the country lifted its mask mandate and eased pandemic restrictions indoors.

On Monday, authorities in Doha reported 602 new cases, taking the total current active cases up to 3,690, marking a drastic spike in cases.

Likewise, the number of those rushing to get tested after experiencing symptoms has also seen an increase, with data showing a total of 16,885 tests in the past 24 hours alone.

The figures have prompted questions from the public on whether country could potentially face another wave just months away from the grand FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 event.

However, despite the sudden rise in cases, the number of hospital and intensive care admissions remain relatively low, as opposed to the peak of the third wave when hospitals were at a maximum capacity due to Covid-19 cases.

Currently, there are no cases in the ICU, and only 43 people are receiving acute hospital care. In the past 24 hours, 14 people have been admitted to the hospital, according to the ministry of health.

Only one case of death has been reported since 15 March 15.

Lax attitudes

In a major move to return to normality after years of restrictions, health authorities lifted a mask mandate in public places.

The new rules mean those visiting malls or indoor buildings are no longer required to wear a mask, however, they must still show their green Ehteraz status before entering.

Unvaccinated employees in the government and private sectors are also no longer required to conduct Rapid Antigen tests weekly.

However, despite the respite that comes with the easing of restrictions, there has been a clear impact on the number of cases.

In recent weeks, health authorities have been recording a higher numbers of daily cases despite high vaccination rates.