Oman imposes night curfew, bans movement after rise in COVID-19 cases

MUSCAT: The Supreme Committee of Oman has imposed a night curfew, banning public movement and vehicle, commercial activities from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am due to record increase in daily COVID-19 cases.

Oman has imposed a night curfew to restrict public movement and commercial activities which will be started from June 20 (Sunday) until further notice.

It has been decided that all public places and commercial activities will be closed during the night curfew. However, essential businesses will be allowed to remain open, and home-delivery services are exempted from the lockdown, Gulf News reported.

The decision was taken after a record increase in the daily number of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

It is pertinent to mention here that Oman registered 33 COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily toll since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday. On the same day, it reported three confirmed cases of COVID-19 infected with mucormycosis, which is commonly known as ‘black fungus’.

A number of hospitals in the Sultanate have exceeded the capacity allocated for COVID-19 patients in intensive care, reaching 157 per cent in Sohar and Nizwa hospitals, the Ministry of Health said last week.

The number of inpatients in intensive care reached 338 with an occupancy rate of 99 per cent. Royal hospital reached 95 per cent of its capacity from a total of 66 ICU beds, Khawla hospital 92 per cent with 36 beds, SQU hospital reached 100 per cent with 11 beds for COVID-19 patients, Rustaq hospital 110 per cent, Nizwa Hospital 157 per cent with 21 ICU beds for COVID-19 and 12 beds added.

Oman has so far reported 242,723 confirmed infections, including 2,626 fatalities and 213,880 recoveries.