Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
Muscat: The Supreme Committee to deal with Covid-19 held a press conference on Thursday.
Here are the latest updates:
1- As many as 101 new cases of coronavirus were registered in the Sultanate, in addition to 2 new COVID-19-related deaths.
2- "Oman has reserved over 8,570,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far," says His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammad Al Saidi.
3- "There has been a significant decrease in the number of patients hospitalised and in intensive care. Precautionary measures must be followed despite the high rate of vaccination. The total doses Oman has recieved so far exceeds 3,950,000.
We decided to book additional doses for those aged 6 years and over after some countries decided to go ahead with vaccination for this age group," the Minister of Health said.
4- On the topic of a third dose of Covid-19 vaccines, the Minister of Health said, "The idea of a third dose, scientifically, is premature. The World Health Organisation has not recommended a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine."
5- "There is a delay in immunising expats," says Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammad Al Saidi.
6- Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca, Sputnik, Sinovac, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm and Covishield Astrazeneca are the eight vaccines approved for use in Oman, Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammad Al Saidi says.
7- "The Ministry of Education has given schools and educational directorates the necessary authority to find various alternatives for students to continue their education in the weeks when they are at home," Minister of Education, Dr. Madiha Al Shaibaniyah says.
8- "Teaching, supervisory and administrative bodies, information technology technicians and parents, in cooperation with the health sector, have an active role in the successful operation of schools, the conduct of the academic year, and the management and implementation of general education diploma exams as intended," Minister of Education, Dr. Madiha Al Shaibaniyah says.
9- "No Omani citizen who is abroad and has not been vaccinated will be prevented from returning to Oman, provided that precautionary measures are followed," the Minister of Health says.
10 - "Even with new changes to the rules, Oman reserves the right to ask for Covid-19 tests on arrival into the Sultanate. There has been an uproar about these tests to be taken before arrival, on arrival and after quarantine, but unfortunately, many tests carried out globally may be fake," says Minister of Health, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammad Al Saidi.
11- "100 per cent return to work for all government sector offices and institutions starting from 1st September," says Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control and Control at the Ministry of Health.
12- "In talks with countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council to study ways in which the requirement of a RT-PCR test can be waived for travel between GCC countries for those who have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine," says Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health.
13- "Supreme Committee examining the return of Friday (Jummah) prayers, a decision may be issued during next week's meeting," says Undersecretary of MERA, Dr. Mohammed bin Saeed Al Maamari.
14- "Aiming to vaccinate all target groups with two doses by the end of September," says Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health.
15- "Oman's health sector will seek cooperation of all government and private health institutions to deal with delayed appointments, operations or other health issues. Some programs like the immunisation of children, have not been affected by Covid-19. Over 84 per cent of people with chronic diseases had timely access to medication," says Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health.
16- "Oman will open its land borders from September 1, while adhering to the controls imposed by the Supreme Committee, including testing before arrival into the Sultanate," says Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control and Control at the Ministry of Health.
17 - "The opening of social, economic and cultural activities is being studied and a decision will be issued next week," Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health says.
18- "Dhofar governorate has the highest number of inpatients in intensive care compared to other hospitals across Oman," says Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health.
19- "A national level plan is in place to study mutations of the virus and a laboratory has been prepared for this. The effort will see the participation of various scientific institutions," says Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health
20- Dr. Yahya bin Khamis Al-Harthy, Director General of Curriculum Development at the Ministry of Education says, "The ministry has a large balance of electronic curricula, and many lessons and electronic content have been recorded and are available and can be used for the next academic year."
21- "All visas issued since the beginning of this year will be extended till the end of the year without any additional fees being imposed," says Major General Abdullah bin Ali Al Harthy, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs for Operations.
22- "We will intensify the vaccination campaign for expats in Oman," says Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health.
23- "School buses to be operated at 50 per cent capacity," says Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibaniya, Minister of Education.
24- "For residents currently outside Oman, who have taken a single dose of a vaccine not approved for use in Oman, should not expect to get the second dose in the Sultanate since it will not be available," warns Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health.
25- "Renewal of residency permits for expats in Oman will be conditional on obtaining atleast one dose of Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in Oman," says Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health
26- "From October 1, obtaining two doses will be mandatory for citizens and residents, with the continuation of all precautionary measures of physical distancing and wearing a mask," Dr. Saif bin Salem Al-Abri, Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health says.
27- Those who have expatriate workforce currently outside the Sultanate, can extend their visas for additional periods through the Royal Oman Police (ROP) electronic portal," says an ROP representative.
28- "There is a tendency to expand vaccination campaigns for residents, especially those where the companies they work for or their sponsors are not interested in vaccinating them. Oman is looking to obtain 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine," Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health says.
