Supreme Committee Press Conference: Oman To Vaccinate More Than 70% Of Population By End Of 2021

Muscat: The Supreme Committee tasked with dealing with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) held a press conference with the media in which important details were discussed.

Here are all the highlights from the meeting:

Minister of Information

Supreme Committee Press Conference: Oman To Vaccinate More Than 70% Of Population By End Of 2021

The Omani government is taking all the measures to protect the people in the society. Under the National Strategy for Immunization Against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health will aim to inoculate 3.2 million people in two phases – the first ending by the latter half of June and the second by the end of December, this year.

The decisions made by the Supreme Committee during the Holy Month of Ramadan are subject to change based on whether the number of Coronavirus cases reduces. If so, the rules could be relaxed or tightened.

There are specific teams in the Ministry of Health that are reviewing the epidemiological state in the country.

Without these [night] closures, the number of COVID-19 patients could double.

Minister of Health (H.E. Dr. Ahmed Al Saeedi)

Supreme Committee Press Conference: Oman To Vaccinate More Than 70% Of Population By End Of 2021

The virus has mutated multiple times. And because some people have failed to comply with the precautionary measures such as having gatherings and wearing masks, the number of cases of have increased with infections from new strains.

There are 751 patients admitted to hospitals due to the Coronavirus. This is the most since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. A total of 234 people are currently in ICUs and 1,789 people have passed away due to the virus.

Vaccines will be made available to the public as soon as they are available. The lack of vaccines in Oman is not due to any financial constraints.

Workers in the education sector (teaching staff) will be vaccinated before the end of the academic year.

Some people in the community refused to take the vaccine, contracted the virus, and was admitted to intensive care before passing away.

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion: Delivery services will not be excluded from the night movement ban that will come into effect during Ramadan. This is because of difficulty in monitoring these activities.

Services that will be excluded from the night movement ban during the Holy Month of Ramadan include:

  1. Three-ton trucks
  2. Health workers
  3. Media professionals
  4. Pharmacies on the shift system

All workers intending to move during the hours of the lockdown must obtain a permit.

Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs for Operations: Anyone who has booked a ticket and has a valid visa to the Sultanate is welcome to travel via the Muscat International Airport.