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\u201cThe number of cases in the intensive care units in February was 53. We now have more than 300 cases,\u201d al-Mohammed said in an interview on Qatar TV. \u201cLook at the jump [in the number of cases] over the past few months. Even during the peak of the pandemic last year, we didn\u2019t have that many cases in intensive care.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the country reported 720 new cases and three deaths with daily totals steadily rising in recent weeks. Since the start of the pandemic, Qatar has reported more than 1.7 million positive cases, including 289 deaths.<\/p>\n
\u201cA full lockdown, such as what we had last summer where the roads were empty and people worked from home, is the best way to stem the spread of the virus,\u201d al-Mohammed said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as people continue to interact with one another, attend workplaces and gather at events, the virus will continue to spread. We did not witness such numbers at the peak of the first wave.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo put this into perspective, at the peak of the first wave in May 2020, we had about 220 patients in intensive care. It is clear that people are becoming sicker and experiencing more severe symptoms in this second wave of the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Qatar\u2019s Ministry of Public Health said the\u00a0circulation\u00a0of the UK variant of the coronavirus has contributed significantly to the increasing number of cases.<\/p>\n
Last week, Qatar announced a series of coronavirus-related restrictions on education, leisure and business activities, including closing gyms and restricting restaurant capacity.<\/p>\n
Last month, authorities\u00a0announced a 32-point plan\u00a0to curb the surge that raised fears of a new wave of infections.<\/p>\n