Minister of Health: This Is The Worst COVID-19 Wave In Oman Yet

Merge 104.8  |  24 June 2021

The Supreme Committee met today to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what you need to know:

  • 1,886 new Coronavirus cases and 32 COVID-related deaths were recorded in the Sultanate today.
  • 3 million Coronavirus vaccine doses are expected to arrive in the Sultanate by the end of September.
  • Vaccinations will now be offered to pregnant women as a precautionary measure, as the country recorded 40 pregnant women in intensive care units so far.
  • Two more vaccines were approved for emergency use in Oman: Sputnik and Sinovac. The four vaccines being used in the Sultanate now are Prizer-Biontech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Sputnik and Sinovac.
  • The Minister of Health said this the “worst wave of the pandemic” to hit Oman so far.
  • Flights to India were mainly operate to return residents from Oman to India, bring back Omani nationals from India, and to bring in health staff. All passengers that arrived in the Sultanate followed Coronavirus protocols set by the Supreme Committee.
  • Passengers coming in on transfer flights from India enter Oman Airport in a specific path, with minimal contact with the airport’s employees.
  • A number of violations by commercial establishments were reported on social media and they were penalized by the concerned authorities.
  • New mutations of the Coronavirus called Alpha, Beta and Delta were all recorded in Oman and they are faster spreading than the original virus. The Delta variant is the most dangerous.
  • The spread of the pandemic is more linked to gatherings and non-compliance with Supreme Committee decisions, than it is to children’s return to schools.
  • Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Oman has reached to around 30% in some areas, which means that out of the total number of people who take a PCR test in one day, around 30% of them come out with a positive result.
  • The Minister of Health said that a total lockdown is possible if the Coronavirus situation continues to get out of hand, but that it is not currently in the cards. An airport closure is also unlikely.
  • The Minister of Health urged everyone to continue taking their precautions, get vaccinated, and to comply with the Coronavirus restrictions that were set in place.