Vote for song
Merge 104.8 | 24 May 2020
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) have issued a statement in clarification to some of the public’s most frequently-asked questions regarding the compulsory use of face-masks in public, along with the penalties for violations, and other control measures.
In a statement issued online by Oman’s Government Communications Centre (GCC), the ROP have outlined the following conditions for wearing a face-mask in public:
— When an individual leaves their home they must wear a face-mask. This includes all permitted commercial and industrial activities, all public and private sector workplaces, on public transportation, and any other public areas.
— All individuals should wear a mask while driving their own vehicles, dependent upon the following conditions: If a driver is alone in the vehicle, he or she is not obligated to wear a mask. He or she is obligated to wear a mask when exiting the vehicle. If a driver is with his/her own family members inside the vehicle, the family is not obligated to wear a face-mask while in the vehicle. If the driver or their family member exits the vehicle, then he or she must wear a face-mask.
— If an individual or number of passengers are with the driver inside the vehicle and are not members of a family that live together, then all must wear a face-mask while inside the vehicle.
In the statement, the ROP reiterated that the penalty for non-compliance with the directives of wearing face-masks in public is “in accordance with Resolution No. 151/2020, which relates to controls for dealing with those who would violate the decisions of the Supreme Committee for COVID-19.” Failure to wear a mask in public will incur a fine of OMR 20 against violators, with ROP authorities empowered to detain the offender for 48 hours, or an extendable period “based on orders from the Public Prosecution.”
The statement also clarified that gatherings for Eid Al Fitr barbecues are also banned, saying that: “Eid barbecues are considered as gatherings which go against the decision of the Supreme Committee, and violators will face legal action.”
(Also read: COVID-19: Pharmacy in Barka closed for hiking price of face-masks.)
