Coronavirus: Qatar records 392 new cases out of 1,897 tests over past 24 hours

Qatar recorded 392 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 4,103, the health ministry announced on Thursday.

Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.

A total of 1,897 were performed over the past 24 hours as well. An additional nine people recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 415. The death toll reached 7 so far.

آخر مستجدات فيروس كورونا في قطر

Latest update on Coronavirus in Qatar#سلامتك_هي_سلامتي #YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/2o8n90Yojz

— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) April 16, 2020

The first case in the country was confirmed on February 27, but the number of cases began to rise more steeply from mid-March onwards, beginning with the announcement of 238 new cases in a single day on March 11.

Many of the cases are believed to be within crowded labor camps for migrant workers, according to media reports. As well as implementing standard restrictions on contact including closing shops and stopping Friday Prayers, Qatar has also locked down the “Industrial Area” where many migrant workers are confined.

Qatar has experienced a relatively steady rise of 6-9 percent in daily cases in the last four days, a slowdown from early April, with a 23 percent increase in cases on April 4 being the country’s highest daily increase so far.

Al Arabiya English's Tommy Hilton contributed to this report.

Read more:

With 15,000 cases in the Gulf, here is how GCC states are coping

Dubai announces stricter lockdown, grocery permits only every three days

Dubai businesses may never return to ‘normal’ as closures extended