The national carrier said the team is working relentlessly to ensure the continued safety of the community. 

Around 310,000 people have completed their quarantine in 65 hotels to date, Qatar Airways [QA] announced in a statement earlier this week.

Since authorities updated travel policies involving passengers returning from abroad, there has been a clear increase in hotel quarantine demands, the airline said.

As of February 14, no exemptions are allowed for mandatory hotel quarantine, meaning all those returning from ‘red zone’ countries are no longer permitted to quarantine at home.

“We are aware of the increased demand for quarantine rooms as restrictions evolve with no home quarantine permitted from red countries. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure the continued safety of Qatar and its residents,” the statement read.

More than 240 employees have been deployed to welcome those returning to Doha, the carrier said. 

Other teams are also working to ensure those who requested refunds are receiving the payments within 60 days, with more than 50,000 refunds processed to date. 

“It has been a huge undertaking to set up an effective and efficient hotel quarantine system that is a model for many other countries,” QA said.

“The refund team are working diligently to ensure all refunds are processed promptly within the 60 days of your request and we appreciate your patience during this time.”

Read also: Moderna vaccine in Qatar: Here’s all you need to know

The high demand for hotel quarantine has prompted complaints from travellers about the lack of available affordable quarantine packages, sources told Doha News.

Those who wish to book hotels for less than QR 4,000 are encouraged to book at least 1 month in advance to ensure availability. 

The mandatory hotel quarantine was imposed last year as part of measures to tackle the novel coronavirus in Qatar.

Last week, authorities dropped mandatory hotel quarantine for those that have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, in response to a rising number of daily cases since the start of the year, Qatar implemented a 32-point plan earlier this month to stem the spread of the virus.

On Tuesday, health authorities reported 455 Covid-19 positive cases, making the total number of current active cases 9862. 

Follow Doha News on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube