1996 - 2021 SILVER JUBILEE YEAR Qatar Credit Muntari Bureau launches scores new service winner as providing credit Qatar beat reports online Luxembourg Business | 01 Sport | 12 THURSDAY 25 MARCH 2021 12 SHA'ABAN - 1442 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 8572 www.thepeninsula.qa 2 RIYALS Amir extends condolences over demise of UAE Finance Minister QNA — DOHA Maktoum, during which H H the Amir extended condolences on the death of Deputy Ruler of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Dubai and Minister of Finance, H H Sheikh held a telephone call yesterday evening with Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, praying to Vice-President and Prime Minister of the Almighty Allah to have mercy on his soul and United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai, to rest it in peace in paradise, and to inspire H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al his family with patience and solace. Amir condoles with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Deputy PM meets Iraqi Defence Minister Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the death of H H Attiyah, met yesterday with the Iraq Defence Minister, H E Juma’a Anad. During the meeting, they Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Prince Badr bin Fahd bin Saud Al Kabeer Al reviewed relations in the military fields between the two countries and ways to enhance them. Abdulaziz Al Thani sent cables of condolences Saud. Govt reimposes some COVID-19 curbs ‘Hospitalisations up due QNA — DOHA taking precautionary measures. will not be held in closed or open Saturday, metro and public to virus variants, lax All citizens and residents will be spaces until further notice. transport capacity will be further The Cabinet which met obliged to wear masks when Playgrounds and exercise reduced to 20 percent, taking yesterday with Prime Minister leaving the house for any reason, equipment in public parks, into account the closure of attitude to precautions’ and Minister of Interior H E unless the person is present by beaches and the corniche will places designated for smoking, SIDI MOHAMED More than THE PENINSULA Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin himself while driving the be closed, with gatherings being and not allowing food and drink 200,000 people Abdulaziz Al Thani in the chair vehicle. restricted to family members to be consumed in the afore- reimposed some restrictions to All citizens and residents residing in the same house or mentioned transport. The COVID-19 hospitalisation have received the curb the spread of COVID-19 in must activate EHTERAZ appli- two people as a maximum. Driving schools will be rate has increased in Qatar over second dose of the country. The decisions will cation on their smart phones No more than four people closed until further notice. the past two weeks, which vaccine. come into effect tomorrow when leaving the house for any are allowed in a vehicle, Capacity at cinemas will be health officials said show the (Friday). reason. Mosques will open for including the vehicle’s driver, reduced to 20 percent, not country is experiencing the Following the meeting, Min- daily prayers and Friday prayers, with the exception of family allowing entry to persons under second wave of the pandemic. Qatar will soon ister of Justice and Acting Min- while toilets and ablution facil- members residing in the same 18 years, and not organising the- Dr Abdullatif Al Khal — be administering ister of State for Cabinet Affairs ities will remain closed. Social house. The number of people atrical performances except Chairman of the National 180,000 to H E Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al gatherings and visits in closed transported by buses will be cut after obtaining the approval of Health Strategic Group on 200,000 vaccine Nuaimi said that at the outset of places in homes and majlis will to the half of the bus capacity, the Ministry of Public Health COVID-19 and Head of Infec- the meeting, the Cabinet listened be prevented. The presence of a while taking precautionary (MoPH). tious Diseases at Hamad doses per week. to the explanation provided by maximum of 5 people in open measures. Private educational and Medical Corporation — said the H E Minister of Public Health on spaces will be permitted. Metro services and public training centres will be allowed increase is a result of the emer- So far, more than the latest developments to limit Winter camps must allow in transport will operate with to provide services through gence of new strains of the 650,000 doses of the spread of the coronavirus only family members who live capacity not exceeding 30 remote communication pro- virus and the failure to commit (COVID-19), and after reviewing in the same house. Weddings percent. On Friday and grammes only. `P5 to precautionary measures. vaccine have been the report of the Supreme Com- Addressing a press con- administered. mittee for Crisis Management ference regarding the regarding the plan to reimpose COVID-19 situation in the restrictions due to the COVID-19 New restrictions to curb the spread of The circulation of the UK variant has country yesterday, he said: also shows that the UK and in the interest of the health COVID-19 in the country will come into contributed significantly to the spread “Recently we have witnessed variant can cause more and safety of all members of effect tomorrow (Friday). of COVID-19 in Qatar and is behind an increase in the number of severe illness. society, it decided the recent increase in cases. deaths, as 14 people died in the “Moreover, in recent days following: Staff in public and last two weeks. we have also identified a First: Continuing with the private sector will work Soon we will be providing number of cases of the South Cabinet decision, which stipu- 80% from offices. The rest about 180,000 to 200,000 African variant among lates that, according to work will work remotely. vaccine doses per week. We returning travellers. The new needs, no more than 80 percent have already given more than restrictions will help to ensure of the total number of employees Meetings in the gov- 650,000 doses of the vaccine.” the South African variant does in the government sector start ernment and private He said more than 200,000 not enter the community and working at their workplace, sectors to be limited to people in Qatar had already become the dominant strain.” while the remaining number of taken the second dose of the He said that the new strain five persons only. employees work remotely from vaccine. does not cause different their homes or upon request, Compulsory use of Al Khal further said: symptoms but it spreads more depending on the face mask while “Despite the best efforts to rapidly from one person to circumstances. outside home to prevent the introduction of new another and some evidence Continuing with the Cabinet continue. variants into the country, we indicates that the new strain decision, which stipulates that like many countries in the may cause severe disease. no more than 80 percent of the Social gatherings and Doha Metro and other Commercial region and around the world Al Khal advised people not total number of employees in the visits in closed places public transport to operate 30% complexes will are now seeing many cases in to leave the house during the private sector working at their in homes and majlis at 30% capacity on open with 30% Qatar of the new variant from next two weeks unless nec- workplace, while the remaining banned. weekdays capacity the UK.” essary, further saying, number of them work remotely The circulation of the UK “We made the plan before from their homes. Meetings will Restaurants will operate at No wedding variant, he said, has con- Ramadan in order to avoid the be allowed to be held with the Driving schools 15% 15% capacity for indoors gatherings in tributed significantly to the possible increase, seeing to attendance of no more than 5 will be shut until and 30% capacity in open closed or open spread of COVID-19 in Qatar what had happened during the people for employees and further notice. spaces. space. and is behind recent increase last Ramadan when there was workers in the government and in cases, as it is highly trans- a sharp rise in cases due to private sectors, while missible and clinical evidence family visits. `P3 Sidra Medicine identifies mutation that may affect COVID-19 testing THE PENINSULA — DOHA The findings, which have been (RT-qPCR) has played a central role team noticed samples from several THURSDAY 25 MARCH 2021 FAZEENA SALEEM published in the Journal of Clinical in mitigating the spread of the virus. unrelated patients were positive for learning. In addition, the Minis- THE PENINSULA try's Special Education Affairs Qatar adopts wise policies Department provided comput- t is no longer news that the ers and tablets to students whose COVID-19 pandemic has parents were affected financially In a collaboration led by teams from Microbiology, highlight Sidra Med- Soon after the viral genome only one viral gene target, which led brought about massive dis- by the pandemic. This was made ruption to the education possible through the Ministry’s Iecosystem — to the learners, to stay ahead of the rest coordination of donations from teachers, school leaders, par- several companies, businessmen ents, and policymakers alike.