No second wave of COVID-19 in Qatar: Health minister

There is no second wave of COVID-19 infections in Qatar and its epidemic situation has been stable for the past several weeks, Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari has said.
Though, the minister warned that “we are not completely safe from the threat of the second wave”.

Addressing the Qatar Health 2021 Virtual Conference, HE Dr Kuwari told delegates that under the direction of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the health sector has worked with partners across government to deliver a comprehensive strategy to protect Qatar's population from the threat of COVID-19.

Small outbreaks being reported in the country are mostly confined to families, shared accommodations or are a result of social gatherings, she said but stressed that such cases were being closely monitored.

“We are now witnessing a stabilization of the disease which has been going on for several weeks: we have not seen a second wave, but a number of small outbreaks, mostly associated with family, social gatherings or shared accommodation. These were controlled through intense active surveillance and contact tracing. However, this does not mean we are free from the risk of a second wave," she said.