Daily coronavirus infection rates reported by Kuwait and Qatar have gone beyond previous peaks recorded in the summers of 2021 and 2020, respectively, as cases rise across the entire Gulf region.
Kuwait reported 2,999 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, exceeding the previous high of 1,993 in July of last year. During the fourth quarter of 2021, Kuwait saw fewer than 50 daily cases.
Qatar, a small energy-rich state with a population of around 2.8 million people, reported 3,487 new cases on Saturday, nearly 10% of those tested, exceeding the previous high of 2,355 in May 2020.
Qatar reintroduced a set of rules on Saturday, limiting home gatherings to 10 vaccinated people, prohibiting unvaccinated people from entering malls and restaurants, and lowering capacity limits for some commercial establishments. Distance learning has been reinstated in Qatari schools until at least January 27.
To relieve pressure on Qatar’s testing infrastructure, authorities urged travellers and some symptomatic people on Wednesday to use rapid antigen tests, which do not require laboratory processing, rather than PCR tests.
It also opened a new 10-lane drive-through PCR testing station with the capacity to sample up to 5,000 people per day.
Post Your Comments