Covid-19 cases witnessed a slight decrease after weeks of implementing a mandatory mask mandate.

Qatar’s weekly reported Covid-19 numbers have dropped below the 650 mark for the first time this month, new figures from the health ministry have revealed.

According to the newly released report, the daily average cases for Covid-19 during the August 15-21 period hit 611 cases, 532 of which were community and 79 among travellers. 

The previous weeks recorded highs of 1,014, 883, 787, and 716, pushing authorities to bring back a mandatory mask mandate to curb the spread of the virus.  

However, despite the slight rise in cases, the number of hospitals and intensive care admissions remains relatively low, especially when compared to the peak of the third wave when hospitals were at maximum capacity due to rising cases.

The number of people currently under acute hospital care has now dropped to 89, while the total number of people currently in ICU is just one, figures show.

The number of current active cases now stands at 4,845, the ministry noted.

Fortunately, no new deaths have been reported in the last seven days, keeping the number of total deaths stagnant at 681.

Despite the drop in Qatar, ​​Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus in July said said the pandemic is “far from over”.

Back to school

In an effort to curb the spread of the virus as schools open their doors for the new academic year, authorities made it mandatory for staff and employees working at state-run schools and kindergartens to conduct mandatory rapid Covid-19 tests.

Health officials also emphasised the importance of following up with the management of the school to make sure that all staff members are committed to completing the pledge form so that the statistics of positive and negative results can be tracked.