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Merge 104.8 | 06 July 2020
Speaking on the escalating number of COVID-19 cases in the country in an interview with Oman TV this evening [Monday, July 6], H.E. Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Hosni, Undersecretary of Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health said that health authorities did not expect daily cases to exceed 1,500 in the country.
During the interview, H.E. Dr. Al Hosni stated the following on developments amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the Sultanate:
— Prior to the last three weeks, cases in the country stood at around 25,000. In just these three weeks gone by that figure has almost doubled, jumping to over 47,000.
— The number of cases has exceeded what we had anticipated and that is worrying. We did not expect to exceed 1,500 cases daily.
— We expected the number of ICU patients not to exceed 184, but as it is now, it seems the numbers might surpass that.
— We are seeing negligence from some towards COVID-19 regulations — especially among youth. And, also, of some employers forcing staff to go to the office despite having symptoms.
— Hospitals are full of coronavirus patients and the experiences of those in the ICU is that of suffering, being away from their families, and with 30 per cent of ICU cases requiring kidney dialysis which is not an easy undertaking.
— Beds in the COVID-19 ward at the Royal Hospital have been expanded to 48, with plans to increase the number of beds to 100. If the increase in the number of cases continues, I don’t know what the limit would be that we would need. We estimate that 6 per cent of all total cases will need hospital beds.
(Also read: Omani COVID-19 survivor recounts devastating loss of his father to the virus.)
