Dubai: Qatar on Sunday reported 13 new coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 483, making it the GCC’s coronavirus worst-hit country.
The Ministry of Health announced that there are five Qataris among the 13 new infections, while the remaining eight are expatriates; mostly related to travel.
The ministry reported six new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 33. All the new infected patients were put in quarantine.
The new COVID-19 cases comes amid a series of stringent precautionary measures that aim to limit the spread of the virus in the country.
Schools, universities shut down
Earlier in the month, Qatari authorities announced the shutdown of schools and universities until further notice amid rising concerns over the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
On Saturday, Qatar announced the closure of public parks and beaches until further notice to keep the virus at bay.
Earlier, some international organisations warned against the spread of coronavirus among expatriate labourers who work in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup infrastructure projects, where thousands of workers are placed in overcrowded labour camps.
According to a report by the Amnesty International UK, expatriate labour camps in Qatar are known to be overcrowded and lack adequate water and sanitation, which means that workers are certainly less able to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
The proximity of workers to each other in the cramped camps does not allow for any kind of social distancing.
