www.thepeninsula.qa Tuesday 1 September 2020 Volume 25 | Number 8367 13 Muharram - 1442 2 Riyals BUSINESS | 13 PENMAG | 15 SPORT | 20 Doha Bank, Classifieds QFA reveals ICSS unite to and Services competition promote skills section roadmap ahead of development included new football season Choose the network of heroes Enjoy the Internet Over 340,000 students to attend new academic year THE PENINSULA — DOHA year will be very successful and students’ cognitive concepts fruitful for all of us, adding: “Based and strengthens the educational Minister of Education and Dear students and parents, on COVID-19 infection rates in values and principles of human Higher Education, H E Dr. Qatar and driven by our belief in interaction. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed It gives me great pleasure to the importance of resuming the “In parallel, blended learning Ali Al Hammadi, has said that congratulate you on the new education process, the Ministry of will help realise the advantages over 340,000 students will Education and Higher Education, of distance learning. Most attend public and private academic year. I am pretty sure in close coordination with the importantly, it will allow stu- schools for the academic year that this year will be very Ministry of Public Health, decided dents to develop and use IT of 2020/21 which will begin to implement the ‘blended skills. It will also build students’ today. The Ministry has opened successful and fruitful for all of us. learning’ approach, which com- sense of responsibility as well as new public and private schools bines online and classroom-based innovation and creativity capa- and expanded capacity of H E Dr. Mohammed bin learning. The maximum bilities,” said H E the Minister. existing schools by adding new Abdulwahed Ali Al Hammadi, attendance rate will be 30 percent “Here, I would like to classrooms, creating thousands of each school capacity per day. indicate that ‘blended learning’ of extra seats for students. Minister of Education and This is the best possible rate for offers parents a good oppor- “We have been working students under the current tunity to integrate into the edu- over the past period to devise Higher Education situation.” cational system and renews operational plans to receive this The in-person attendance their sense of responsibility number of students. Five new classrooms will be added to the on the ministry’s website. gartens to 334. This will accom- to school premises achieves the toward their children’s learning. public schools were opened, existing public schools with a Moreover, 13 new private modate nearly 215,000 stu- academic objectives of the edu- The success of blended learning, including Qatar Technical Sec- capacity of more than 3,600 schools and kindergartens with dents, he added. cational process and equips stu- however, depends on many ondary School for Girls, which seats to accommodate 124,700 a capacity of more than 7,600 Congratulating students, dents with the necessary skills factors, the most important of brings the total number of students. This is equivalent to seats were opened, which parents on the beginning of the in subjects that require practice which is the partnership public schools and preschools six new schools,” said the Min- brings the total number of new academic year, the Minister and lab-based experiments. between schools and families,” to 283. Additionally, 145 new ister in a statement published private schools and kinder- affirmed in a statement that “this Additionally, it enhances H E the Minister added. `P2 Random COVID-19 test to be done on students this month: Official SIDI MOHAMED Around 98.5 percent of teachers only 1 to 2 persons, out of 100 tests, THE PENINSULA and school staff were tested neg- turned positive during the COVID-19. ative in a test done by the Min- Regarding the opening schools, he Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the said: “The blended approach, which is National Strategic Group on COVID-19 istry of Public Health. enabling children to return to school, and Head of the Infectious Diseases has been carefully planned with all the Division at Hamad Medical Corpo- Everything is in place to enable relevant authorities and all measures ration, has said that the measures put children to safely return to are being put in place by schools to in place have succeeded in lowering ensure the safety of children and the number of new daily cases over schools. reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.” Dr. Ibrahim Al Nuaimi (left), and Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, addressing the press the past few months. He said, while children are not conference yesterday. Schools have implemented all nec- Most of the cases of infection immune to COVID-19, they are essary measures to ensure safety of stu- during the last period were found extremely unlikely to experience safely return to schools,” he affirmed. gatherings put many people at risk and dents and around 98.5 percent of teachers within the same family. severe symptoms of the virus and their “We are seeing that a high proportion risk undermining all the efforts that have and school staff were tested negative in a safety is always our first priority. of positive cases among Qatari nationals been done to combat the virus to date”. test done by the Ministry of Public Health. Dr. Al Khal mentioned that random and expat professionals are due to a About the fourth phase, Al Khal He said that random COVID-19 tests for COVID-19 tests will be carried on stu- minority of people within these groups pointed out that the start of Phase 4 students will be done in September. the last period were found within the dents going back to schools in Sep- who continue to ignore preventive will again open new facilities and offer The success is due to the combined same family, which often came from tember. “With a maximum of 30 percent advice – putting themselves and those people more freedom, but it is efforts of the government and members one of its members, he said adding that of children in school each day, in around them at risk,” Dr Al Khal added. important to remember that the further of the public, he said in a press con- the infection rate per hundred tests addition to supporting preventive “We have seen incidences of large scale lifting of restrictions does not mean ference held yesterday on COVID-19. during August ranged between 1-2 measures, we are confident that eve- family gatherings and celebrations with that the virus has disappeared and the Most of the cases of infection during percent, which is low. It means that rything is in place to enable children to more than 100 people. The mass threat to our health has gone. `P2 US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue expected later this month FAZEENA SALEEM bilateral relations in several issues that concern regional has seen a 35 percent increase in THE PENINSULA areas including trade, edu- perspective, our shared 2019, compared to the previous cation, science and culture. common threat perception and year and attract more Qatari stu- The upcoming US-Qatar Strategic “During the US-Qatar Stra- areas that we want to work on dents to study in the US. US and Qatar are Dialogue, scheduled for later this tegic Dialogue, which is tenta- to develop,” he added. He added that Qatar is a month, will focus on a range of tively scheduled for later this Schenker is in Doha as part of strong and key regional partner working together issues including regional security month, we plan to have high- his visit to Kuwait, Qatar, and in countering terrorism and com- to promote peace, and defence cooperation, said level discussions on trade, Lebanon. In Qatar he will meet gov- bating the financing of terrorism. David Schenker, Assistant investment, education, culture, ernment officials to discuss bilateral “The State Department applauds stability in the Secretary of State for Near labour rights, regional security relations, counterterrorism, regional Qatar for the implementation of Middle East.” Eastern Affairs, yesterday. and defence cooperation, as security issues and preview of US- new anti-money laundering, Addressing a video press well as law enforcement and Qatar Strategic Dialogue. countering the terrorism David Schenker conference in Doha, Schenker counterterrorism and public He also said that discussions financing legislation and appre- said that along with military and health collaboration to combat in the area of culture will focus ciates Qatar’s role as an active defense ties, US and Qatar will COVID-19,” said Schenker. “We on Qatar-US cultural year, partner in the global coalition to work to build upon the strong will discuss a broad range of enhancing bilateral trade which defeat ISIS,” he said. `P2 Doha Metro to resume services today with 30% passenger capacity THE PENINSULA — DOHA health status and body temperatures FUEL PRICE below 37.8°C will be permitted entry. The Qatar Petroleum (QP) Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) wearing of face masks inside station announced yesterday that the Doha premises and on board is mandatory announced yesterday the prices Metro is set to resume services from throughout the journey. All measures will of super and premium grade today. During this early post pandemic be monitored by security and customer petrol and diesel for September. period Qatar Rail will be operating a full service staff. Any person who fails to service, but on advice from the author- comply with the safety measures will not ities, will be limiting passenger loadings be permitted on the network or asked QR1.25 on trains to around 30 percent maximum to leave. Price of super grade capacity. Hand sanitising units have been petrol for a litre.