Don’t spread rumours about my family: Son of Oman’s first COVID-19 victim

Muscat: The youngest son of Oman’s first COVID-19 victim, who died two weeks ago, has asked people to not circulate rumours about the rest of his family having contracted the disease.
Hamad Al Balushi and his mother were both placed under domestic quarantine seperately. His two of his five brothers, five sisters, and all their daughters and sons were also quarantined, from 21 March to 4 April. “All of us are fine, and nobody in our family has coronavirus. Please stop these rumours of my family and I having coronavirus. I’ve heard of these rumours both in Muttrah – where I live – and on social media. My expat neighbour told me he’d heard we were infected with coronavirus due to our contact with our father, and also I read similar things online as well.”
“We are going through the most difficult period of our lives, due to the death of our father,” explained Hamad. “We could not even attend his funeral prayers or bury him. The entire family is grieving over our father's separation from us, and while this is happening, people are spreading rumours and contributing to our grief. Please stop circulating these rumours and let us live peacefully.”
Speaking about the development surrounding his father once he’d been admitted, he said, “After two days, doctors told us he had coronavirus and asked me and all my family members who’d been in contact with my father to subject ourselves to domestic quarantine as preventive prosecution.”
However, despite doctors doing their best to save him, Hamad’s father could not be cured. It was a heartbreaking moment for the family
“The hospital called to inform me of my father’s death,” he revealed. “I could not believe my father had, died because I love him so much, and I was unable to be at his side and do for him whatever I could. The memories of my father's voice, face and laugh will never be absent from my mind. I was not even present when we received my father's body, and during the last rites, because I was under domestic quarantine. This makes me very sorrowful as I could not see my father's face for the last time, before he was buried."
Keen on ensuring others in the country are not infected by the novel coronavirus, Hamad Al Balushi asked everyone in the country to follow the measures that had been put in place to avoid the spread of the disease, just like his family had done.
“We adhered to the decisions of the Supreme Committee, the Ministry of Health, and the concerned authorities by submitting to domestic isolation,” he advised. “We did not go out to observe prayers and even after my father was buried, we did not receive those who wished to offer condolences to my family, or receive mourners, because we respect our Sultan and his authority, our government, and our country, and we must take into account the health of all citizens and residents.”