Individuals who are eligible for a third booster Covid-19 vaccine dose will be able to get it from today, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). This dose is currently offered to individuals who have a higher risk of severe Covid-19 infection and have had their second dose at least eight months ago. Individuals considered to have heightened risk include those over 65, people with certain chronic conditions, and frontline healthcare and other workers. The MOPH says this decision aligns with recent clinical evidence showing that immunity from Covid vaccines generally starts to decrease after eight months. This seems…
Author: Tesneem Ayoub
Qatar Museums (QM) had released its events roster for September 2021, containing events and workshops for different ages by the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), and Fire Station: Artists in Residence. So, here’s a round-up of English-language events that are exclusively for kids and teens. Nasta’liq BeginnersAge range: eight to 18Date: weekly between 04 September 2021 and 25 September 2021Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pmInstructor: Hussein AhmedBest suited for those with some calligraphy experience, this class will explore the Nasta’liq script. This history-rich script was invented in 15th century Iran by the calligrapher, Mir…
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) has announced that schools are set to continue with blended learning for the 2021/2022 academic year. Students from public schools, private schools, and kindergartens will attend at 50% capacity and alternate between online and in-person lessons. The MOEHE said that this decision was taken based on the current state of Covid-19 in the country. According to them, this arrangement is in line with the preventative measures authorities are currently taking to control the spread of infections.Other Safety MeasuresBesides blended learning, the MOEHE outlined the other precautions schools will be expected to follow.…
The Ministry of Public Health’s (MOPH) social media pages have published statements from senior health officials urging everyone who has not accepted their vaccine invitation to do so as soon as possible.One of the officials quoted was Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, the National Health Strategic Group chair on Covid-19 and head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). He says that the national vaccination programme has been immensely successful so far, with around seven in ten of the eligible population receiving two doses of a Covid vaccine and eight in ten receiving one. Despite that, he says that a…
Local dairy producer Baladna is collaborating with Dadu – Children’s Museum of Qatar to deliver online “Milk Science” workshops this summer.The workshops are targeted at children ages seven to 11 and will involve various hands-on activities, including making butter and biodegradable plastic.How to Sign upThe first few sessions will be free of charge for 100 families and will run between July and August. But to have a chance to take part, you will have to enter an Instagram competition, and the Baladna and Dadu pages have listed the requirements as follows:1- Make a craft with the packaging of a Baladna…
The National Museum of Qatar’s (NMoQ) ongoing “Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails” exhibition is now open to visitors under 12. This comes after the second phase of the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions came into effect earlier this week.The exhibition introduces visitors to the dugong (known locally as baqarat al bahr), a mammalian sea creature that has been in the Arabian Peninsula for over 7,500 years. The dugong has deep, generations-long cultural and environmental ties to the Qatari people, and the exhibition highlights this, though that’s not its only objective. “We want to inform our public about the importance of protecting these…
The Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD) announced that “true” summer had started on Monday and that temperatures are expected to stay high due to “Al Thuraya star nights”. These nights are predicted to last for nine more days, where intense northwesterly winds will also blow during the day.Because of this sweltering heat, with temperatures ranging from 34–47°C, QMD has advised the public to take the following steps to avoid heatstrokes:• drinking enough water• limiting time spent outdoors• wearing sunscreen and using umbrellas• avoiding dark and thick clothing• taking cool showers QMD has also cautioned the public against the symptoms of heatstroke.…
Senior women’s health officials from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) are encouraging pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to get Covid-19 vaccines, according to posters shared on the corporation’s social media channels. The graphics contain quotes from different women’s health officials on the vaccines’ safety and benefits, as well as the risks of catching Covid when pregnant. According to the posts, Dr Salma Abo Yaqoub, Chair of Obstetrics/Gynecology at Women’s Wellness and Research Center (WWRC), says that Covid vaccines have been shown to be safe for pregnant women and foetuses. She also says that even if mothers catch Covid after vaccination, they still…
Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, has called on the public to be “patient” and continue to follow Covid-19 guidelines, despite announcing plans to ease restrictions.Dr Al Khal, who also chairs the National Strategic Group on Covid-19, made these statements during last Sunday’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) press conference, where he also confirmed that case numbers have steadily declined in recent weeks. He attributed this decrease to the public’s compliance with health and safety measures and the ongoing national Covid-19 vaccination programme. According to MOPH, half of the adult population has…
Qatar’s health bodies are participating in World Immunization Week, a yearly World Health Organization (WHO) initiative running this year between 24th April 2021 and 30th April 2021.According to the WHO, the 2021 campaign provides an “unprecedented opportunity” to bolster public trust and support in vaccination.This year’s campaign slogan, “vaccines bring us closer”, alludes to vaccines as a critical tool in the fight against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the campaign’s webpage explicitly highlights the ways vaccination has “brought us closer” in the last two centuries by eradicating smallpox and stopping the spread of infections like polio. The Ministry of…