Government offces to work with 50% staff, schools to suspend physical attendence of students

Muscat: The Supreme Committee on Wednesday decided to reduce the employees working in government sector to 50 percent, starting from April 4. 

The committee also decided to “suspend the direct attendance of students in private and international schools and limit access to distance learning, with the exception of students of the twelfth grade.”

The Committee also decided to suspend all official and private sports activities, starting tomorrow, Thursday, April 1, 2021, until further notice.

According to ONA, The Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic held a meeting as part of its ongoing session under the chairmanship of Sayyid Hamoud Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Interior, to discuss updates on the pandemic, measures of protection and ways of avoiding the spread of the virus.

The Committee noted that reports on epidemiological investigation in schools show an increase in COVID-19 positive cases registered among the administrative and teaching staff and students in private and international schools. These cases emerge from society-based infections, as well as the non-abidance of some schools with the health measures, which include reporting of positive symptoms and instances of individuals who mingled with infected persons in society and in schools.

To protect all members of society from further propagation of the disease, the COVID-19 Supreme Committee decided to suspend students’ physical attendance in private and international schools and to restrict education therein to online learning, except Class 12 students as is the case with government schools. The decision takes effect from Sunday, 4 April 2021, till further notice.

Also, to address the sharp increase in cases of infection with COVID-19 virus in different governorates of the Sultanate, and to avoid more spread of the virus in the society during this time, the Supreme Committee decided to suspend all official and private sports activities with effect from Thursday, 1 April 2021.

The Committee also decided to downsize by 50% the number of employees who attend at the workplace in units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus and other legal entities. Employees who do not attend at the workplace have to perform their tasks online. This decision takes effect from Sunday, 4 April 2021 till further notice.

The Committee prayed to the Almighty Allah to protect everyone against all harm.