Qatar moved early to take preventive measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which has killed over 51,000 people globally. The country detected its first case on February 29, 2020, and has since adopted a well-coordinated and effective approach to deal with the pandemic. Not only the country took timely steps to limit incoming flights, quarantine the returning citizens, and shut down education institutes to safeguard the public health, but it also announced incentives amounting to QR75bn ($23bn) to support the private businesses during the pandemic. In addition to a host of precautionary steps, where the authorities have been crucially successful is early detection and isolation of the infection.
More than 26,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the country and 949 cases have been detected so far. Dozens have already recovered from the virus. Of the total cases recorded in the country, 89 percent have mild symptoms and only three percent received critical care as of Wednesday. Assistant Foreign Minister and Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, H E Lolwah bint Rashid Mohammed Al Khater said that around 84 percent of the total COVID-19 cases registered came from inside the quarantine and only about 16 percent were detected in people who were not in quarantine. This clearly shows the effectiveness of the containment strategy the authorities are following. The State has also put in place dedicated units to guide, coordinate and respond, in multiple languages, to public calls related to COVID-19. A hotline established by the Ministry of Public Health has catered to 43,000 calls by members of the public in three weeks. There are three mobile medical units, a fleet of ambulances and three clinics for Industrial Area, where a large number of expatriate workers live and work.
At the same time, the State has reinforced its strategic reserves of food and medical supplies, with the Qatari Amiri Air Force flying in a shipment of medical supplies from China. The Ministry of Public Health currently has the capacity to perform 2,000 tests for the novel coronavirus daily, using the latest test approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organisation. At a time when the WHO is advising the nations to increase testing of the suspected cases and then isolating those found carrying the virus, Qatar has led by example in showing how timely and effective response mechanism can make a huge difference in this fight against the coronavirus.
