By Joanne Serrieh

DUBAI -- Qatar's number of novel coronavirus infections topped 30,000 on Saturday, with the health ministry reporting 1,547 new cases. The total number of cases is now 30,972, according to a Reuters count.

Meanwhile, an additional 242 people have recovered in the country, raising the total number of recoveries to 3,788, according to the official Qatar News Agency

A 74-year-old resident who had been receiving medical care in the intensive care unit is the latest coronavirus fatality in Qatar.

Qatar has made wearing a face mask compulsory for all those who step outside their homes, with violators facing jail time and monetary fines. The decision announced on Wednesday is effective until further notice.

The country has seen a relatively high number of cases given its population of only 2.75 million. Qatar has the second highest number of infections in the GCC region. -- Al Arabiya English