Starting May 22, 2020, people in Qatar who are going outside should have installed the Ehteraz app on their smartphones. This is mandated through a Cabinet decision, approved this week. Another mandate is to wear face masks to those who are going outside their residences.
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The Ministry of Interior designed and developed the Ehteraz app. Ehteraz, which means “precaution,” helps track if the user has come into contact with a positive patient or not, it also provides the latest update regarding the pandemic, and health tips to prevent being sick.
Get to know the Ehteraz App
The Ehteraz app was announced to the public in April. This app can provide information regarding the pandemic. This is also helpful because it can track those who have tested positive with the virus. The app uses Bluetooth and location features. Both Android and iOS users can download this app.
Beginning May 22, 2020, Qatar residents who are going outside their homes are required to download the Ehteraz app. Here is the announcement from the Ministry:
HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani chaired the Cabinet extraordinary meeting via video conference. The Cabinet announced several new measures to combat the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). #YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/v85JcM05vH
— مكتب الاتصال الحكومي (@GCOQatar) May 19, 2020
The features of the app are:
- Can monitor those who are in quarantine and see if they are still staying in their quarantine facilities
- Can inform health officials which individual might be infected, to be given the appropriate treatment
- It can inform the app users if they have been in contact with infected people. The health status of the user can also be checked through the QR codes used in the app.
- The codes are green, grey, yellow, and red. Green means that the individual is healthy and not sick. Grey means that the individual is suspected of having the virus or exhibiting the symptoms, or might have come into contact with an infected person but has not yet been tested. A yellow status means that the user is in quarantine, and should be staying in a quarantine facility. Finally, red means that the individual is positive of the virus and has undergone testing.
How to Install the App on iPhone
- Go to app store
- Search for Ehteraz
- Click “Get” to install the app. Wait for the installation to be completed before opening the app.
- Choose the preferred language by clicking “Accept”
- Change the phone’s setting so that the location is “Always On”
- Register your phone number, QID number and QID expiry date
- Wait for the OTP to complete the log-in process
Or watch this video from ILoveQatar.Net to help you navigate the process:
Residents and citizens are reminded to comply with this Cabinet decision. For those who will not comply, the penalty is either imprisonment or a fine of QR 200,000 or both.
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