MUSCAT: The Supreme Committee of Oman has decided to close all commercial activities in the Sultanate’s governorates between 8 pm and 5 am from Thursday, March 4 until March 20 as measures to curtail Covid-19 spread.
The decision is reportedly taken against the rapid spread of infection in particular.
The selective lockdown covers all restaurants, cafes, and cafeterias inside tourism installations, while also the home delivery services. However, it exempts fuel filling stations, health facilities, and pharmacies from closure.
The Committee reviewed the international COVID-19 epidemiological scenario marked by a steep surge in the number of infections and death cases due to the prevalence of new, mutated variants of the virus.
On the domestic front, data analysis shows a rise in the number of patients admitted to hospital and death cases in all parts of the Sultanate.
In some of the Sultanate’s governorates, a surge beyond the red mark was registered, with an alarming swell linked to travel cases amid the global propagation of the disease and the lack of information about the situation in departure countries.
Data also indicates lab-confirmed infection cases linked to international mutated strains (among them the South Africa variant) that caused a local spillover and the emergence of hotbeds in the Sultanate’s governorates.
The Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic held a meeting on Monday under the chairmanship of Sayyid Hamoud Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Interior, to follow up updates on the pandemic, measures for protection against the virus and ways to curb its spread and alleviate its impacts.
