Ministry Asks Companies to Protect Workers from Covid-19

BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 5 Al-Kuwari participates in GCC ministers meet through video QMMF to organise Qatar conference Online Racing Championship published in QATAR since 1978 FRIDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11507 April 3, 2020 Sha’ban 10, 1441 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Amir holds phone talk with Libyan leader Selling masks ‘in style’ in New York His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Ministry asks yesterday held a telephone conversation with chairman of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord companies to of Libya, Fayez al-Sarraj, during which they discussed the close relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them. Al-Sarraj briefed His protect workers Highness the Amir on the latest developments in Libya, and the efforts made to establish and enhance security and stability. from Covid-19 The Amir affirmed Qatar’s firm and supportive stance to the brotherly Libyan people and its Six-hour duty them to share information, ask ques- support for the internationally tions, and verify information. recognised government of for workers in The Ministry said companies should national accord. Also, they construction sector increase the frequency of routine clean- discussed efforts made by Qatar ing and sanitation of areas at work sites, and Libya to combat the novel QNA accommodation, buses, bathrooms, coronavirus, and ways of co- Doha kitchens, canteens and other places used operation in this field. by the workers; provide disposable wipes Protective masks for sale are displayed in a store in the Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn, in New York City yesterday. so that commonly used surfaces such as Currently, over 92,000 people in New York state have tested positive for Covid-19. he Ministry of Administrative doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls PM chairs Supreme Development, Labour and Social and desks can be wiped down by the em- Committee meeting TAff airs has issued directives that ployees before each use. HE the Prime Minister and Minister private sector companies must enforce The employers must also ensure social of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa at work places and workers’ accom- gatherings are limited to the minimum; bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, Chairman modation in a bid to combat the novel stagger entry and exit of workers from Qatar absolutely transparent of the Supreme Committee for coronavirus, and to complement the the workplace; reduce population den- Crisis Management on combating precautionary measures taken by the sity in the workplace and accommoda- the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), State. tion by ensuring the number of people yesterday chaired the third Among the directives are six-hour in a room is limited to four; prohibit all on coronavirus facts: AlKhater meeting of the committee to duty for workers in the construction sec- in-person meetings that are not essen- follow up the progress of the work tor and steps to raise the workers’ aware- tial and limit internal movement as much of the national executive plan to ness of the procedures and the exchange as possible; suspend all training events; E Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mo- The top offi cial stated that Qatar tackle the pandemic and related of information. and restrict the use of common spaces hamed AlKhater, the Spokes- witnessed relative stability after the developments. The meeting These measures also include emphasis such as canteens and changing rooms to Hperson for the Supreme Com- second wave of Covid-19 cases related reviewed the progress made by the on reducing gatherings at places of work a limited number of workers at one time mittee for Crisis Management, has to the return of Qatari citizens from state in addressing Covid-19 and and residence and implementing safety in line with the guidelines of the Ministry reiterated the absolute transparency abroad. protecting the country through measures to protect workers from the of Public Health. adopted by Qatar in conveying facts “This rise that we are currently wit- preventive and precautionary virus. MADLSA also underlined the im- related to the novel coronavirus (Cov- nessing is due to the return of Qatari measures, in addition to discussing The Ministry stressed that employers portance of enhancing the role of oc- id-19) outbreak. citizens from abroad, in addition to the issues on health, education and should exchange information and in- cupational safety and health offi cers “It hoped that this matter would be technical reason, which is the use of economy. The meeting praised crease workers’ awareness of the proce- and management to supervise workers appreciated by everyone. This is for new case-detection devices that allow the eff orts of various sectors and dures adopted at the company and gov- and to ensure that protective measures the simple reason that some depend on more cases to be tested in a shorter time their joint eff orts to overcome the ernment levels on tackling Covid-19. are applied, in particular performing numbers that are circulated in general and greater numbers. crisis. The meeting was attended Other measures include: a risk assessment to protect workers through various means of communi- “This is a healthy indicator, as it re- by members of the committee zTaking the temperature of work- and mitigate the spread of the disease; cation without checking for their ac- lates to the discovery of cases that al- including ministers, heads of ers regularly and monitoring respiratory working with public health authorities curacy,” she told a press conference on ready exist, and should be dealt with organisations, and senior off icials symptoms. to develop a plan to identify suspected Wednesday evening. scientifi cally and systematically. in the state. zObserving good personal hygiene by cases and contacts with Covid-19 in HE AlKhater stressed the impor- “The second chain of transmission reminding workers to wash their hands workplaces and manage them properly; tance of obtaining information from between Qataris coming from abroad regularly, cover their mouth with elbow if assessing the impact on mental health official sources and authorities, as is witnessing an increase in numbers, FM, UNHCR chief coughing or sneezing and to avoid touch- (for example, anxiety about job and there are official bodies that provide HE Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohamed while there is stability in the cases re- discuss Covid-19 ing their faces. income security, about the risk of con- and make available these numbers AlKhater corded between residents,” she said. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and zNeed for worker representatives/ tracting the disease, and the situation continuously, on a daily basis, with She said the reason for the increasing Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh welfare officers to communicate in of their family members in their home great accuracy. was more than 200 at the time, and the number of infections among Qataris is Mohamed bin Abdulrahman the workers’ languages to encourage countries). To Page 16 “Qatar’s approach of dealing with subsequent decline and stability, then that many people coming from abroad al-Thani held a phone call the crisis is a scientifi c one, as a scien- rise again in recent times. do not adhere to the conditions of safe yesterday with United Nations tifi c and medical solution to this prob- “The rise in the numbers recorded distance and quarantine. High Commissioner for Refugees Qatar records 114 new cases, third death lem is sought, and not a media solution, on March 20 came after the discovery She urged all to strictly adhere to the Filippo Grandi. During the call, because that will not solve the root of the transmission chains in Qatar, precautionary measures and quaran- they discussed ways to co-operate The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) tal number of tests to 26,260 so far, as causes of the problem. among expatriates in certain regions tine conditions. to reduce the spread of the announced yesterday the registration the use of new techniques continues “There are some parties and coun- of the country, the most important of “The primary safety line is the con- coronavirus and issues of common of 114 new confirmed cases of the to contribute to a greater number of tries that resort to certain means which which is the currently closed Industrial science of people and their control over concern. novel coronavirus disease, the recov- daily tests. A total of 72 patients have include not revealing the numbers, and Area,” she said. themselves, more than monitoring by ery of one patient and the third death recovered from Covid-19 in Qatar so calculating them in an unscientifi c HE AlKhater emphasised that the the authorities. so far in the country. Some of the new far. The third Covid-19 death was of way, such as announcing numbers that government’s response was quick and “Some people are wondering why Twitter removes accounts cases are related to travellers who an 85-year-old resident who was suf- are in fact virus infections for citizens consisted of closing that area and pro- the number of tests being conducted critical of Qatar, Turkey returned to Qatar from abroad and fering from acute pneumonia. He was and generally declared as if they are viding mobile health units, ambulances in Qatar is relatively less compared to Twitter said yesterday it has were subjected to quarantine upon ar- admitted to intensive care immedi- all infections in the country,” she said and other measures. some other countries. This is due to removed thousands of accounts rival, the Ministry said in a statement, ately upon his diagnosis yesterday, stressing that such calculations are not The Ministry of Public Health car- methodological and scientifi c reasons critical of Qatar and Turkey. “We according to Qatar News Agency.

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