Doha, March 15 (QNA) - HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al -Thani, during presiding over the meeting of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management to follow up on all developments and precautionary measures to combat the spread of the new Corona virus (Covid 19), ordered to initiate a set of decisions and measures, namely As follows:

First: suspending all incoming flights to Doha, starting from Wednesday evening, corresponding to March 18, for a period of 14 days, renewable, with the exception of air freight and transit flights, in addition to receiving any of the Qatari citizens coming from any destination in the world without specifying that with a period of time provided that Quarantine is applied to them for 14 days.

With regard to Qatari students located outside the country, we advise them to adhere to the policies in place in the study country with the readiness of the country's embassies to provide any of the necessary services, including facilitating the procedures for return to the State of Qatar if the need arises, and we also urge citizens and residents in the State of Qatar to avoid travel during the coming period.

Second : Stop all public transport, including metro and Karwa buses, from tonight at 10 pm.

Third: Allowing the following groups to distance work : Employees over the age of 55, pregnant women, and people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and blood pressure.

Fourth: All students in government schools start distance studying from Sunday, March 22, 2020, and students from grades one to eleven will be subject to the continuous evaluation system, as for the 12th grade students, they will sit for high school exams on time and at the exams headquarters, which will be announced later. As for students in private schools and universities, they start studying remotely according to the academic calendar and the evaluation systems approved for them.

Fifth: A package of decisions related to the economic and financial sector, as follows:

First decision - HH the Amir directive to support and provide financial and economic incentives, in the amount of QR 75 billion to the private sector.

Second decision - Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is to put in place the appropriate mechanism to encourage banks to postpone loan installments and obligations of the private sector with a grace period of six months.

Third decision - Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is to postpone the installments for all borrowers for a period of six months.

Fourth decision- The government funds are to increase their investments in the stock exchange by QR 10 billion.

Fifth decision - Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is to provide additional liquidity to banks operating in the country.

Sixth decision - Exempting food and medical goods from customs duties for a period of six months, provided that this is reflected in the selling price to the consumer.

Seventh decision - Exempting the following sectors from electricity and water fees for a period of six months: the hospitality and tourism sector, the retail sector, the small and medium industries sector, the commercial complexes in exchange for providing services and exemptions to tenants, the logistic areas.

Eighth decision - Exemption from rents for the logistical areas and small and medium industries for a period of six months.

HE Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, said in a joint press conference this evening along with Assistant Undersecretary for Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saleh Al-Khulaifi, and co-chair of the National Epidemic Preparation Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, who is also Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, and Director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease, said that the Committee, and according to the directives of HH the Amir had started its meetings continuously and without interruption since the first day of the crisis, headed by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and the membership of Their Excellencies the Ministers and officials from all relevant sectors.

Her Excellency noted that a number of measures had been taken in this regard, in particular the health sector, which day and night operators work to protect society members from the consequences of this virus.

The study was also suspended in all stages with the activation of distance education, besides cancellation of gatherings, both in social, sports and public events, and the entry process was tightened from the air and sea ports, including preventing the entry of all wooden and tourist ships from the various seaports.

The Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management reiterated the call for all sectors and institutions in the State, citizens and residents to cooperate and adhere to all measures and take all necessary precautions to overcome this stage, and we wish all health and wellness.

In response to a question regarding Qatari students abroad, HE Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, the official Spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management,the official spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, confirmed that there is continuous coordination with them through embassies and consulates, "whereby the procedures will be facilitated for them if they wish to return to Doha", urging the students to adhere to the health policies of the countries in which they are present and to communicate with their country's embassies in these countries continuously.

For his part, co-chair of the National Epidemic Preparation Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, who is also Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, and Director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease, said in response to a question about the newly discovered cases, that the new cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19) that were announced earlier today, the number of 64 cases, the vast majority of whom are workers who are now subject to quarantine, indicating that the Ministry is currently conducting checks for contacts of these cases.

He noted that all currently infected cases are in very good health and do not show any sick symptoms except for some cases that show slight symptoms and that all of them receive full medical care in the health isolation.

Dr. Al-Khal said that the vast majority of the detected cases did not show symptoms of the disease due to early detection or that they had mild symptoms such as a slight rise in temperature, and he expected the announcement of the recovery of more cases to be added to the four cases whose recovery was announced yesterday.

He urged all Qatari students abroad to fully adhere to the health guidelines in the countries in which they study in the event that the study is continuing, while the option remains to stay or not for the students were studying were suspended in the countries in which they are present. He added that they will be subjected to quarantine in the event of return for a period of 14 days.

With regard to economic decisions, Assistant Undersecretary for Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saleh Al-Khulaifi, said that the implementation of the decisions will start from the date of their issuance, noting that some private quarters had started implementing the decisions in advance in a step that they deserve to thank.