JEDDAH — Qatar's Health Ministry announced 25 more cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 526. The ministry also said that four patients have recovered from the infection, raising the total number of recoveries to 41. Out of the 25 new cases, 16 are expatriates who came into close contact with the previously infected people. The rest arrived in the country from abroad. According to the ministry statement, 11,531 people so far have been tested for the virus in the country with no death reported. In addition, Qatar is working toward setting up field hospitals in several parts of the country to support the national healthcare system in combating the pandemic, Qatar News Agency reported quoting the spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Crisis. The field hospitals, once ready, will raise the total number of hospital beds in the country to 18, 000, the report added. According to the report two temporary medical facilities have already been built by the Ministry of Public Health in cooperation with the Qatari military to provide health care for mild coronavirus cases, with a capacity of 4,645 beds. Qatar decided last week to shut down all shops and bank branches in shopping malls, except for food stores and pharmacies, in addition to closing down part of the Industrial Area for 14 days as part of measures against the spread of the coronavirus. The government also closed mosques and suspended communal religious prayers, including Friday prayers.
