CATHERINE W GICHUKI
Doha
The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani has directed officials to provide necessary services to citizens and residents and to provide safety and protection to them from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to ensure that they can continue with their normal life.
The Amir presided over the meeting of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management at the National Command Centre (NCC) on Sunday, which was held to discuss ways to combat the new coronavirus disease and to determine the steps being taken by the competent authorities to prevent this epidemic.
The authorities presented to the Amir the "national executive plan” to confront the virus.
During the meeting, the Amir stressed the importance of the contribution of all state’s departments, including public and private sector institutions, to the efforts of the competent authorities to prevent the epidemic and their social responsibility in such circumstances. The Amir also stressed that all citizens and residents do their duty to reduce the spread of the virus by observing the preventive measures recommended by the Ministry of Public Health.
The Amir ordered to initiate a set of decisions and measures to combat the spread of the virus.
Announcing the Amir’s directives at a press conference, Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management HE Lolwah al Khater, said as part of precautionary measures to combat the the virus, all inbound flights to Doha will be suspended from Wednesday (March 18) and all public transport services, including Metro and Karwa buses, will be shut from Sunday 10pm.
A QR75 billion stimulus package for private sector was also announced at the press conference.
Inbound flights to Doha will remain suspended for a period of 14 days, which can be renewed.
"Transit flights, cargo flights and Qatari nationals who want to come back to the country would be exempted from the new measures,” Khater said.
"With regard to Qatari students located outside the country, we advise them to adhere to the policies in place in the country of their study with the readiness of the country’s embassies to provide any of the necessary services, including facilitating the procedures for return to Qatar if the need arises. We also urge citizens and residents in Qatar to avoid travel during the coming period,” she said.
Employees over the age of 55, pregnant women, and people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and blood pressure have been allowed to work remotely.
"All students in government schools will start distance studying from Sunday, March 22, and students from grades one to eleven will be subject to the continuous evaluation system. As for the 12th grade students, they will sit for high school exams on time and at the exams headquarters, which will be announced later.”
As for students in private schools and universities, they start studying remotely according to the academic calendar and the evaluation systems approved for them.
The Amir also ordered a QR75 billion economic stimulus package to the private sector.
As per the order, the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is to put in place appropriate mechanism to encourage banks to postpone loan installments and obligations of the private sector with a grace period of six months.
Similarly, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is to postpone the installments for all borrowers for a period of six months. The government funds are to increase their investments in the stock exchange by QR10 billion.
The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is to provide additional liquidity to banks operating in the country.
As per the order, food and medical goods have been exempted from customs duties for a period of six months, provided that this is reflected in the selling price to the consumer.
Similarly, the hospitality and tourism sector, the retail sector, the small and medium industries sector, the commercial complexes have been exempted from paying electricity and water fees for a period of six months in exchange for providing services and exemptions to tenants, the logistic areas.
Logistical areas and small and medium industries have also been exempted from rents for a period of six months.
Khater, who is also the Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, said the committee, and according to the directives of HH the Amir, had started its meetings continuously and without interruption since the first day of the crisis.
She said a number of measures had been taken in this regard, in particular the health sector, which operators round the clock to protect society members from the consequences of this virus.
She said study was also suspended in all stages with the activation of distance education, besides cancellation of gatherings, both in social, sports and public events, and the entry process was tightened from the air and sea ports, including preventing the entry of all wooden and tourist ships from the various seaports.
She reiterated the call for all sectors and institutions in the state, citizens and residents to cooperate and adhere to all measures and take all necessary precautions to overcome this stage.
In response to a question regarding Qatari students abroad, Khater confirmed that there is continuous coordination with them through embassies and consulates, "whereby the procedures will be facilitated for them if they wish to return to Doha”.
She urged the students to adhere to the health policies of the countries in which they are present and to communicate with their country’s embassies in these countries continuously.
For his part, co-chair of the National Epidemic Preparation Dr Abdullatif al Khal, said most of the 64 new coronavirus cases announced earlier on Sunday, are workers who are now subject to quarantine.
The ministry is currently conducting checks for contacts of these cases, he added.
"All infected cases are in very good health and do not show any symptoms except for some cases that show slight symptoms and that all of them receive full medical care,” he added.
Doha
The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani has directed officials to provide necessary services to citizens and residents and to provide safety and protection to them from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to ensure that they can continue with their normal life.
The Amir presided over the meeting of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management at the National Command Centre (NCC) on Sunday, which was held to discuss ways to combat the new coronavirus disease and to determine the steps being taken by the competent authorities to prevent this epidemic.
The authorities presented to the Amir the "national executive plan” to confront the virus.
During the meeting, the Amir stressed the importance of the contribution of all state’s departments, including public and private sector institutions, to the efforts of the competent authorities to prevent the epidemic and their social responsibility in such circumstances. The Amir also stressed that all citizens and residents do their duty to reduce the spread of the virus by observing the preventive measures recommended by the Ministry of Public Health.
The Amir ordered to initiate a set of decisions and measures to combat the spread of the virus.
Announcing the Amir’s directives at a press conference, Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management HE Lolwah al Khater, said as part of precautionary measures to combat the the virus, all inbound flights to Doha will be suspended from Wednesday (March 18) and all public transport services, including Metro and Karwa buses, will be shut from Sunday 10pm.
A QR75 billion stimulus package for private sector was also announced at the press conference.
Inbound flights to Doha will remain suspended for a period of 14 days, which can be renewed.
"Transit flights, cargo flights and Qatari nationals who want to come back to the country would be exempted from the new measures,” Khater said.
"With regard to Qatari students located outside the country, we advise them to adhere to the policies in place in the country of their study with the readiness of the country’s embassies to provide any of the necessary services, including facilitating the procedures for return to Qatar if the need arises. We also urge citizens and residents in Qatar to avoid travel during the coming period,” she said.
Employees over the age of 55, pregnant women, and people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and blood pressure have been allowed to work remotely.
"All students in government schools will start distance studying from Sunday, March 22, and students from grades one to eleven will be subject to the continuous evaluation system. As for the 12th grade students, they will sit for high school exams on time and at the exams headquarters, which will be announced later.”
As for students in private schools and universities, they start studying remotely according to the academic calendar and the evaluation systems approved for them.
The Amir also ordered a QR75 billion economic stimulus package to the private sector.
As per the order, the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is to put in place appropriate mechanism to encourage banks to postpone loan installments and obligations of the private sector with a grace period of six months.
Similarly, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is to postpone the installments for all borrowers for a period of six months. The government funds are to increase their investments in the stock exchange by QR10 billion.
The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is to provide additional liquidity to banks operating in the country.
As per the order, food and medical goods have been exempted from customs duties for a period of six months, provided that this is reflected in the selling price to the consumer.
Similarly, the hospitality and tourism sector, the retail sector, the small and medium industries sector, the commercial complexes have been exempted from paying electricity and water fees for a period of six months in exchange for providing services and exemptions to tenants, the logistic areas.
Logistical areas and small and medium industries have also been exempted from rents for a period of six months.
Khater, who is also the Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, said the committee, and according to the directives of HH the Amir, had started its meetings continuously and without interruption since the first day of the crisis.
She said a number of measures had been taken in this regard, in particular the health sector, which operators round the clock to protect society members from the consequences of this virus.
She said study was also suspended in all stages with the activation of distance education, besides cancellation of gatherings, both in social, sports and public events, and the entry process was tightened from the air and sea ports, including preventing the entry of all wooden and tourist ships from the various seaports.
She reiterated the call for all sectors and institutions in the state, citizens and residents to cooperate and adhere to all measures and take all necessary precautions to overcome this stage.
In response to a question regarding Qatari students abroad, Khater confirmed that there is continuous coordination with them through embassies and consulates, "whereby the procedures will be facilitated for them if they wish to return to Doha”.
She urged the students to adhere to the health policies of the countries in which they are present and to communicate with their country’s embassies in these countries continuously.
For his part, co-chair of the National Epidemic Preparation Dr Abdullatif al Khal, said most of the 64 new coronavirus cases announced earlier on Sunday, are workers who are now subject to quarantine.
The ministry is currently conducting checks for contacts of these cases, he added.
"All infected cases are in very good health and do not show any symptoms except for some cases that show slight symptoms and that all of them receive full medical care,” he added.