DUBAI — The number of coronavirus cases in Qatar rose to 16,592 after 918 new infections were detected, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday. Currently, the virus-related death toll in Qatar stands at 12. The new cases are a jump from the 830 cases that were detected earlier, but the ministry had warned on Monday that cases could rise. The upcoming period will witness a fluctuation in the number of daily reported cases, which will shift between high and low rates, the ministry said on Monday. This is due to several reasons, the ministry added, including that the outbreak is reaching its peak stage before the number of infections will descend gradually. Meanwhile, 216 people recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, which brings the total number of recoveries in Qatar to 2,286. Qatar has ramped up its efforts to test more people for the virus, and has conducted 116,495 tests so far. The ministry urged the public to adhere to preventative measures to protect themselves and others from the virus. — Al Arabiya English