Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Muscat: Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health is discussing the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic, in an interview with Oman TV.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health:
1. "The Supreme Committee is satisfied with the commitment shown by everyone to the complete closure during the Eid holidays."
2. "We appreciate His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik's monitoring of the pandemic and his good directives to the Supreme Committee."
3. "I thank all citizens and residents for their commitment to precautionary measures and the decisions of the Supreme Committee and for showing their responsibility."
4. "The current results pertaining to the number of Covid-19 cases is a result of the partial closure. For the numbers from the complete closure, we will need 10-14 days to know the results."
5. "The pandemic is not yet over, it is ongoing and the social and economic effects are clearly visible. The current level of burden borne by the health sector all across the world has exceeded all expectations. We came close to a health systems collapse when the total number of patients in ICUs crossed 500. The Supreme Committee had no choice but to opt for measures like complete closure when case numbers exceeded by several times, the capacity of the health sector."
6. "Unfortunately, the number of Covid-19 cases increased after the Eid al-Fitr holidays, after declining during the month of Ramadan."
7. "In the past few days, the number of patients being admitted directly to intensive care, from their homes, is very high. This indicates the severity of this disease. On partial and complete closures, I don't think there is any debate on the feasibility. Only the ignorant will deny the results."
8. "Most cases in Oman today are of the fast-spreading Delta variant and this strain affects people of all ages. It is also more severe than previous strains."
9. "More than 7.6 million doses reserved for Oman. 50 per cent of the Sultanate's target population groups were covered in the first dose vaccination campaign. During the next two months, over 3 million doses will be received. We noticed an increase in the demand for vaccination post the Eid Al-Adha holidays."
10. "At the peak of this wave, the total number of patients admitted in one day for one disease were 211. Yesterday, the number of inpatients at ICUs or wards of government and private health institutions did not exceed 50, a decrease of 75 per cent."
11. "The Supreme Committee will meet on Thursday and will take appropriate decisions regarding future steps."
12. "We hope to start vaccinating those above the age of 12. Deaths in Oman are mostly of those over the age of 60, who did not accept vaccination."
13. "Any delay in procuring the vaccine is not due to financial limitations or for the government's lack of trying to obtain doses. It is due to a scarcity of doses across the world. Oman does not allow the entry of any medical products before ensuring its safety and efficiency."
14. "We are coordinating with the Ministry of Education to vaccinate those in the age group 12-18 years with the first dose before the end of next week. Around 320,000 students. We hope, before the start of the school term (September), that all students from this category have been vaccinated with the second dose so that they can return to school normally."
15. "In the Governorate of Muscat, when registration was opened on Sunday of last week, there was a possibility to vaccinate 11,000 people in the governorate. Only 8,000 registered and 6,000 showed up. Perhaps the reason is due to the holidays or that the person had taken the vaccination and was not registered in the system."
16. Registration for the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will begin on Wednesday, for those who have had their first dose atleast 10 weeks ago."
17. We are studying measures for those who refuse to take the vaccine. The most important step is preventive measures. Producing an anti-coronavirus medication is very difficult. But preventing gatherings is the best precaution as this is the main cause of transmission."
18. "Each country has specific criteria for being selected for a travel ban. Travellers from more than 30 countries are restricted from entering Oman. But many other countries have been removed from the list."
