{"id":216244,"date":"2021-03-31T23:17:23","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T20:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/qatar-races-mounting-virus-toll-with-vaccine-drive\/"},"modified":"2021-03-31T23:17:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T20:17:23","slug":"qatar-races-mounting-virus-toll-with-vaccine-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/qatar-races-mounting-virus-toll-with-vaccine-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"#Qatar races mounting virus toll with vaccine drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Qatar races mounting virus toll with vaccine drive<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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Qatar is stepping up its coronavirus vaccination drive, officials said Wednesday, with new daily cases almost quadrupling since January and prompting calls for a renewed lockdown.\n <\/p>\n

While the country’s death toll per capita is low, almost 5 percent of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic were during the past week, with authorities blaming the more potent British strain.<\/p>\n

Medical experts have called for a return to the strict summer lockdown that saw new daily cases plummet from 2,355 at the end of May to 235 by July 31. <\/p>\n

But Rashid Andaila, a manager at a vaccination point south of Doha, said the vaccine drive was gathering steam, with a second drive-through clinic opened on Sunday for second doses.<\/p>\n

“Our capability is 5,000 at each site,” he said. “This stage of the vaccine (programme) is getting bigger and bigger.”<\/p>\n

Over 25,000 vaccine jabs were administered on Tuesday, bringing the total to 816,484 doses, according to official data.<\/p>\n

Qatar has a mostly expatriate population of 2.75 million.<\/p>\n

“We are expecting more people will come,” Andaila said, as dozens of cars and trucks queued with the Al-Janoub World Cup stadium in the background. <\/p>\n

Qatar reported 780 new infections on Wednesday as well as two deaths, bringing the total COVID-19 death toll in the country to 291, while active cases reached 571 per 100,000.<\/p>\n

Nearly one in five of Wednesday’s new cases were among residents and citizens returning from abroad, official statistics showed. <\/p>\n

And despite the accelerating vaccine drive, some officials have called for a renewed lockdown.<\/p>\n

“A full lockdown, like we had during last summer when roads were empty and people worked at home, is the best way to stem the virus’ spread,” Ahmed al-Mohammed, chair of Qatar’s intensive care service, told state television this week.<\/p>\n

The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care has more than doubled since March, he added, with 338 people in ICU beds as well as a further 1,668 patients receiving acute care.<\/p>\n

“It is clear that people are becoming sicker and experiencing more severe symptoms in this second wave,” Mohammed said.<\/p>\n

A senior expatriate advisor to the health authorities resigned earlier this year following disagreements on how to tackle mounting cases and the new variants, three sources told AFP.<\/p>\n

Household visits and weddings are currently banned in Qatar, communal pools and gyms closed, and cinemas restricted to over-18s.<\/p>\n

But offices, shops, bars and restaurants all remain open, with capacity limits.<\/p>\n

Mosques face fewer restrictions but are limited to opening at set prayer times only.<\/p>\n

Major sports events including WTA and ATP tennis tournaments and the FIFA Club World Cup have proceeded in recent months with reduced crowds. <\/p>\n

The rollout of Qatar’s vaccination programme was initially slowed down after Pfizer failed to fully deliver three shipments of inoculations, a medical source told AFP, but it has since proceeded as planned.\n <\/p>\n\n

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Follow the latest news<\/a> on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \u00a9 2021 AFP<\/p>\n

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Citation<\/strong>:
\n Qatar races mounting virus toll with vaccine drive (2021, March 31)
\n retrieved 31 March 2021
\n from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2021-03-qatar-mounting-virus-toll-vaccine.html<\/p>\n

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