Coronavirus: Robust screening procedures in place at Oman airports

Muscat: Oman’s Minister of Health has explained the screening and quarantine process that have been set up at the country’s three international airports to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Both transit passengers and those whose final destination is Oman are subject to the same procedures.
“We have a team of more than 70 people from the Ministry of Health at Muscat International Airport to screen for passengers who show symptoms of COVID 19,” said Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saeedi.
“We will treat screening procedures in our other international airports in Salalah and Sohar just as we do in Muscat. There is no difference in the screening procedures across the three airports. Passengers on board flights are given voluntary declaration forms where they are asked to list their symptoms to see if they are those of COVID-19.”
“At the airport, they are separated into those who have symptoms and those who do not. Those who do not have symptoms are allowed to proceed with their journeys, but those who have declared symptoms are subject to screening procedures. If we find that they have the symptoms, they are quarantined,” said Dr Fatima Al Ajmi, the Director General for Health Services in Muscat.
Surveillance clinic
The same procedures are held for both transit passengers and those who have Oman as their final destination. Those found to have the symptoms of coronavirus will be taken to the airport’s health surveillance clinic, where they will be tested further.
“Those travellers that do not display any of the symptoms of COVID-19 will be released, but will be briefed on what they need to do, should they require either home or institutional quarantine,” she explained.
“A medical team is following-up on the cases of those who have been quarantined, as well as those subject to self-isolation at home. There is also a team designated to follow-up on those who’ve been institutionally quarantined.”
“If you have been quarantined at home, and all your tests come back negative, then you are free to move about in public,” added the Minister of Health. As an assurance to families and friends of those who had been quarantined, and who fear potentially developing the same symptoms, he said, “There is no danger to others from those who have been quarantined once the tests have come back negative.”