The number of people who have registered on the COVID-19 vaccination platform is approaching one million – both citizens and expats – since the start of the campaign until now, Al-Jarida Arabic daily reported yesterday, quoting informed health sources. They said the number of those who have received the vaccine is around 500,000 citizens and expats. The sources said the health ministry’s plan to expand the campaign will witness the vaccination of new categories of people, including cooperative workers, administrators and others, in addition to mosque employees including imams, muezzins and workers.

Medical teams
They said the ministry will soon designate medical teams to visit these groups at their workplaces, adding that the ministry’s strategy is to operate in two directions – the first by receiving citizens and expats at vaccination center at the Mishref fairgrounds or other medical centers designated for this purpose.

The second is to go to certain groups to vaccinate them at their locations, adding that medical teams will start their work in days. The sources said this move will be launched as soon as vaccine shipments will arrive in the country. The sources emphasized the importance of vaccination at the current time, especially amid a spike in the number of deaths, cases and intensive care admittance among all age groups including children in the past two months.

No bikes in curfew
In other news, the Interior Ministry’s Relations and Security Information Director General Brig Tawheed Al-Kandari said police will start implementing the new decisions issued by the Cabinet on Monday, which said the curfew is now from 6 pm to 5 am and walking is allowed from 6 pm to 8 pm.

In statements published by Al-Qabas Arabic daily yesterday, he said policemen have received clear instructions that only allow walking inside residential areas while complying with health protocols such as social distancing and wearing masks. People are not allowed to use vehicles or scooters. Kandari called on citizens and expats to comply with the Cabinet’s decisions and not allow their children to use bikes or scooters during these two hours, because policemen will take strict action against violators./agencies