Qatar has seen a significant dip in daily Covid-19 cases, with a 27% drop in daily infection cases from Saturday to Sunday.
On Saturday, Qatar reported 533 new Covid-19 cases, as the infection rate in the country steadily drops on a daily basis.
On Sunday, that number quickly decreased to 389, dropping 144 cases from the previous day, a near 27% percent dip in only 24 hours.
Health officials have credited the dip in cases to strict restrictions imposed in early April, as well as efforts to speed up and improve efficacy of the national vaccination programme.
During a press conference on Sunday evening, Qatar’s health and commerce ministries introduced a four-phase plan for the gradual lifting of restrictions following the downward trend of daily Covid-19 cases.
Read also: Qatar to gradually lift Covid-19 restrictions from May 28th
The first phase will begin on May 28, or May 23, depending on the state of Qatar’s daily cases during Eid Al-Fitr, which poses an increased risk of infections, as was the case last year, due to social gatherings.
The first phase will see the partial opening of museums, driving schools, private beaches and parks, as well as restaurants and the reintroduction of blended learning.
The second phase will see the reintroduction of weddings, though at a small capacity. Most facilities and services will be mainly available to those who have taken both doses of the vaccine.
The vaccine has proven to be efficient in protecting people from severe symptoms of the Covid-19 mutations, such as the UK and South African strains.
Real-world data taken from Qatar’s Covid-19 databases have shown that taking both doses of the vaccine is pivotal to protect people from symptoms such as pneumonia or death.
However, Qatar recently surpassed 500 Covid-19 related deaths, with 6 new deaths reported on Sunday, bringing the total up to 508 so far.
Nonetheless, no Covid-19 related deaths have been among those who has received both doses of the vaccine.
According to health officials in Qatar, those vaccinated are 61 times less likely to require hospitalisation if infected than those who have not been vaccinated, and 91 times less likely to require intensive care if infected.
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