Oman to close all commercial activities by 8:00pm to curb spread of virus

Gulf Today Report

The Oman's Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus pandemic has decided to close all commercial activities in the Sultanate’s governorates between 8:00 pm and 5:00 am from March 4 (Thursday) to March 20 (Saturday).

The closure covers all restaurants, cafes and cafeterias inside tourism installations, in addition to home delivery services.

The ban exempts fuel filling stations, health establishments and private pharmacies.

The Supreme Committee also approved the continuation of online learning in government schools from  March 7 March (Sunday) to March 11 (Thursday).

During this period, an assessment will be made in light of epidemiological updates in the Sultanate.

The Committee calls upon all to avoid gatherings, noting that assembling proved to be scientifically associated with infection cases in societies at large scale.

The Supreme Committee reviewed the international Covid-19 scenario marked by a steep surge in number of infection and death cases due to the prevalence of new, mutated variants of the virus.  

In the domestic front, data analysis shows a rise in number of patients admitted to hospital and death cases in all parts of the Sultanate.

In some of the Sultanate’s governorates, a surge beyond the red mark was registered, with an alarming swell linked to travel cases amid the global propagation of the disease and the lack of information about the situation in departure countries.

Data also indicates lab-confirmed infection cases linked to international mutated strains (among them the South Africa variant) that caused a local spillover and the emergence of hotbeds in the Sultanate’s governorates.