The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) issued an update to the quarantine protocol currently in place in the country for travellers coming to the State of Qatar. 

The update includes exempting recovered people from quarantine and for all travellers coming to Qatar to undergo a COVID-19 test in a medical facility approved by the local ministry of health in the country they come from within 72 hours before their arrival in the State of Qatar. This new protocol will take effect from Sunday, 25 April.

The Ministry clarified that a recovered person – if he had contact with a person infected or suspected of having the disease – and did not show symptoms of infection, will be exempted from quarantine provided that he has recovered from the disease according to a laboratory-confirmed result, and fulfilled the criteria after the end of health isolation. This should be within six months of the first positive result of the COVID-19 test. The person should also undergo a COVID-19 test to rule out an infection without symptoms. Recovered persons can obtain an extract to confirm prior infection from their health centre.

But if a recovered person from COVID-19 who met the requirements for exemption from quarantine develops symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 within fourteen days of coming into contact with an infected person, he must isolate himself from others, and be clinically evaluated regarding the possibility of infection, including a COVID-19 PCR test. In the event that the result is negative and no other cause for these symptoms has been identified, he may be asked to retake the test.

Primary Health Care Corporation Director-General, Dr Mariam Abdul Malik, said these rules and guidelines are based on the latest available medical information and evidence. MoPH will continue to update these recommendations as soon as new information becomes available.

She called on the public, including those recovering from the disease and those who received the vaccine, to continue adhering to precautionary measures, such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing, avoiding crowded places and poorly ventilated places, maintaining clean hands, and following national travel guidelines and any instructions issued at the workplace or school.

The Ministry recently announced that a person who received their complete dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and did not show symptoms similar to COVID-19 after contact with a person infected or suspected of having the disease, will be exempted from quarantine, and also exempted from quarantine upon his return from travel if the result of his/her COVID-19 test is negative upon entry to the country.

For more COVID-19 updates visit moph.gov.qa. 

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