By Tuqa Khalid

DUBAI -- Qatar reported on Friday 1,153 new cases of coronavirus infection, raising the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country up to 29,425.

The Ministry of Health said most of the cases were expat workers who contracted the virus after coming into contact with previously infected individuals, as well as detecting new cases among groups of workers in different regions.

“Cases of infection have also increased among citizens and residents as a result of contact with infected family members who had been infected in the workplace or through visits and family gatherings,” the ministry said.

It added that Qatar “has now entered the peak phase of the virus outbreak, which is seeing a rise in the number of daily recorded infections.”

The ministry stressed the importance of following precautionary measures such as social distancing during this phase.

It called on the public to refrain from social visits during the rest of the holy month of Ramadan and in Eid Al-Fitr.

Travel restrictions

Qatar has suspended the option of obtaining a visa upon arrival from a number of European countries starting from May 15 and until further notice.

The decision includes suspending entry of citizens of Italy, France, Germany and Spain, and all other traveling from these countries, according to the Government Communications Office (GCO).

The country also suspended the entry of people traveling from Sudan, even if the traveler has a valid visa or a Qatar resident permit. -- Al Arabiya English