Doha: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has deployed many patrols across the country to monitor people’s commitment to the cabinet’s decisions regarding wearing face masks on leaving the house and decision of not riding more than two persons in a vehicle.
The Public Relations Department of the MoI is also conducting an awareness drive in more than ten languages which included Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Nepalese, Bengali, Sinhalese, Tagalog, Tamil, Malayalam and Indonesian in this regard.
MoI said that the drive focuses on “wearing face masks when leaving the house, also the Cabinet’s decision of not riding more than two persons in a vehicle and mandatory download of Ehteraz mobile app”.
According to the decision, wearing face masks is mandatory for all upon leaving house for any reason, except in the case when a person is alone while driving a vehicle. The Ministry of Interior has been authorised under Cabinet’s decision to take the necessary measures in this regard.
Police patrols are deployed in many areas to ensure the number of passengers present, as well as wearing masks and others. “There is strict control over the issue of wearing face masks and the number of passengers in the car. The patrols are deployed in many areas at main intersections to see people’s adherence to the instructions of the authorities concerned,” said a motorist Khaled.
Another resident Yousef said: “Last night I was going to Al Wakra and the police patrols stopped me two times in different places to check about wearing masks and the number of passengers in the vehicle.”
"Strict instructions are imposed in this regard and awareness drive is also being conducted by the Ministry of Interior in more than 10 languages therefore people have no excuse to not follow the guidelines,” he said.
MoI has also asked individuals who have a health profile code of grey colour in Ehteraz app to stay at home and should not go out because they are classified as among those who have symptoms or contact with positive cases and not yet been examined.
Brigadier Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, Director of the Public Relations Department at the MoI said that the Ministry will increase the number of patrols in all regions of the country, to ensure individuals’ commitment to the decisions related to fighting coronavirus.
Speaking to Qatar TV, he added: “Children are counted as passengers. No more than two people are allowed in the private vehicle, whether they are children or adults, except in the cases specified by the decision.”