DUBAI -- Qatar recorded one new coronavirus death, raising the death toll to eight, the health ministry announced on Saturday. A total of 345 people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours after 1,811 people were screened. The country has so far confirmed 5,008 infections as of Saturday. The health ministry also said 46 people recovered recently, raising the total number of recoveries to 510. The first case in the country was confirmed on Feb. 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
