Vaccination of crucial service workers lauded
Qatar’s Covid-19 vaccination programme and its Vaccination Scheduling Unit (VSU), set up by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) aimed at supporting the inoculation of key service workers in the country, underlines the country’s wise leadership in ensuring the health and safety of all, according to Doha Festival City (DHFC) general manager Robert Hall.
“We greatly appreciate all efforts of the government and ministries to issue a controlled and effective vaccination programme and welcome the principle of offering free medicine to all residents in the good welfare of the country as a whole.
“Specifically for key workers in the service industry in direct contact with customers, this represents a very wise decision in the welfare of both staff and consumer and such is very well received in the industry.” Hall told Gulf Times.
The VSU supports the vaccination of workers in all businesses, but priority will be given to key businesses that are in direct contact with the rest of the community, such as barbershops, hairdressers and salons, restaurants, retail shops, supermarkets, hotels and other hospitality services, Gulf Times has reported earlier.
According to MoPH, thousands of workers across the country have been vaccinated via the VSU since its launch. It noted that only businesses can contact the unit directly at VCIA@hannad.qa to schedule vaccination appointments for their staff. Hall also lauded the recent announcement to gradually lift Covid-19 restrictions in the country in four phases from May 28.
“From a business perspective, it is absolutely critical to enable the markets and most especially those of food and beverage, entertainment and Theme Parks to start to recover their trading position and see a return to profit. The retail industry has been greatly troubled by the pandemic,” Hall noted. About the vaccination of DHFC staff, he said: “Of course, many staff in retail are quite young and so the programme is ongoing for us. As the ministry announce reduction of age to receive the vaccine, each day our levels improve. Within the business about 40% have had a first vaccine.”