Qatar Airways Suspension
Qatar Airways Suspension

COVID-19: Qatar Airways to Continue Operate Amid Qatar Shutdown

Qatar has announced a series of measures, including the suspension of all incoming flights for a preliminary two-week period, as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus. 

However, Qatar Airways will in fact not be suspending flights and passengers transiting through Qatar will still be allowed to travel. Entry to Qatar will however only be allowed to Qatari nationals.

The moves were announced on Sunday following a meeting between Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management.

The statement from the committee included "Stopping all incoming flights to Doha, starting Wednesday evening, which corresponds to March 18th, for a 14-day period that can be extended" adding that cargo and transit flights would be exempt from the ban.

It said Qatari citizens would continue to be allowed into the country, after they quarantine for two weeks.

The announcements came after Qatar's health ministry announced 64 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the tiny Gulf nation, taking its total number of cases to 401.