Governmental bodies like the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Ministry of Interior (MOI), and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) have urged the public to stick to Covid-19 regulations through their social media platforms.

This comes as the MOPH has been reporting a steady rise in positive coronavirus cases and hospitalisations this past month. During a press conference on Wednesday 28th January 2021, the MOPH said that these increases could indicate an incoming second wave of Covid-19 infections. As a result, the health body has been stressing on the necessity of sticking to mandatory measures like mask-wearing and social distancing to stop that from happening. It also warned that if this trend continues, it might lead to the return of more stringent restrictions.

Meanwhile, the MOI has also been leading a tougher crackdown on public rule-breakers. So far, 8,853 people have been referred to the Public Prosecution for not wearing a mask where mandatory. Additionally, 287 have been booked for being in a vehicle with more than four individuals, including the driver—families are exempt from this rule.

The bottom line is: keep washing your hands, masking up, social distancing, and avoiding crowded places. The pandemic is not over, and not following safety measures will keep it going on for longer.