Cases in Oman are on the rise from quite a while now. And to curb the further spread of the virus, Oman has decided to extend its border closure indefinitely. The news was announced by Oman News Agency on Monday.
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Amid The Fast-Spreading Variants Of Covid-19 Virus, Oman Has Taken This Step
The sultanate, which had reopened its border for tourists last year in December, had announced the closure of the border for a week on January 18. However, in response to the fast-spreading variants, the authorities were forced to take the latest decision. On this the Ministry of Health said,
“In the light of safety for the general public, it has been decided to extend the border closure for an indefinite period as the number of cases is still rising.”
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For the covid-19 cases, on Monday, the ministry said that it had registered 316 more coronavirus cases and one death from the virus. In fact, last week itself Health Minister Dr Ahmed Al Saeedi had ruled out an immediate lockdown. But that matter was under consideration. However, with the latest update, the lockdown has been extended indefinitely.
Oman Has Begun Second Phase Of Vaccination
Oman has alternatively begun the second phase of vaccination after receiving 100,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured under licence by the Serum Institute of India. In the first phase of the vaccination drive, around 30,000 Omanis have already been vaccinated.
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While, the sultanate has announced border closures, on January 28, it had also announced an indefinite ban on public and private gatherings. The sultanate’s supreme committee responsible for tackling the pandemic said the ban included education institutions, weddings, conferences, seminars and exhibitions.
The total number of cases in Oman has reached 135,990, including 127,853 recoveries and 1,535 deaths.