People asked to stay alert after night lockdown ends in Oman

Muscat: Citizens and expats in Oman alike have chosen to exercise caution and stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, despite the lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19 coming to an end.

Syed Abdullah, a Pakistani, said he was now doubly concerned about going outside to meet friends, despite the call to catch up with them.

“These are very uncertain times, and our health is at stake,” he said.

“I get many people asking me to have dinner with them at a restaurant, but although we’ve been missing these for some time, it’s not worth endangering the lives of my family and friends. We are not going to suffer too greatly if we forego it. We have managed for six months…we can hold on for a bit longer.”

Omani citizen Khamis Al Nabhani was of a similar opinion.

He said: “Before the pandemic, it was common for all of us to meet with our relatives on the weekend, but we know the dangers of doing that now. The punishment does of course matter, but to risk our lives during the pandemic just for what is essentially a distraction is poor planning on our part.”