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Apr 23, 2020

Qatar, Germany, Austria make masks, gloves mandatory

FA News Desk
Face mask
Face mask

The Qatari Government has made wearing of face masks mandatory from Sunday (April 26) until further notice for government and private sector employees and clients, shoppers at food and catering stores and workers in the contracting sector. 

Violators will attract imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years and a fine not exceeding QR200, 000, or one of the two penalties as stipulated in Decree Law No. (17) for 1990 regarding the prevention of infectious diseases.

The Cabinet also decided that the official working hours during the holy month of Ramadan this year will be four hours per day in the government sector and six hours in the private sector.

While the employees and workers in the government sector will work from 9am to 1pm, the timing for the private sector is 9am to 3pm.

Foodstuff stores, pharmacies, and restaurants working on deliveries and the contracting sector are excluded from the application of this decision. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in co-ordination with the authorities concerned, shall determine the other necessary activities exempted from this decision.

The previous exceptions decided by the Cabinet with regard to working hours shall continue.

It was decided that employees and workers in the government and private sectors whose work requires providing services to the public and clients are obliged to wear masks while carrying out their duties and tasks.

Clients visiting government and private sector offices are also required to wear masks. The officials concerned should take the necessary measures to prevent the entry of clients who are not wearing masks.

Shoppers are obligated to wear masks before they enter food and catering stores and during shopping, and those responsible for these shops must take the necessary measures not to allow the entry of non-compliant shoppers.

Workers in the contracting sector are obligated to wear masks while carrying out their duties and tasks, and officials in this sector should provide these masks and adhere to the established precautionary measures.

Likewise, Germany has also announced plans to make face masks mandatory to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Mask use will be compulsory on public transport throughout Germany, and nearly all states will also make face coverings compulsory when shopping.

Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly recommended their use last week when she eased lockdown rules.

Also, Austria made the use of face mask compulsory when shopping at the start of this month, but in other side, Switzerland confirmed it would not make its citizens wear masks as it loosened its restrictions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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