Qatar cabinet makes COVID-19 app Ehteraz must for all, restricts number of people in cars

Tribune News NetworkDohaAll citizens and residents are required to download Qatar’s COVID-19 risk-detector app Ehteraz from Friday (May 22), Qatar’s Cabinet decided on Monday as it approved a host of new decisions aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus.The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al Thani, has decided to put curbs on the number of people travelling in private cars and other vehicles. In self-driven personal vehicles, no more than two persons are allowed to travel at a time. However, the allowed number is three in the following vehicles — taxis and limousines and vehicles driven by a “family driver”. Ambulances and vehicles of the Ministry of Public Health, the armed forces and the police and other security authorities are excluded. All these decisions are effective from Tuesday.The Cabinet has also approved another set of decisions that will come into effect from Tuesday. The most important of them is the decision to close all shops and halt all commercial activities from May 19 to May 30. Food and catering shops, pharmacies and delivery-only restaurants are exempted from the decision.The Cabinet has also decised to limit sporting activities to areas close to one’s place of residence, after having taken necessary precautions against COVID-19.