Easing of restrictions in coming days?
Published: 02:08 PM,Aug 10,2021 | EDITED : 05:08 PM,Aug 15,2021
Muscat: With the number of daily infection cases coming down and 32 percent of the target population fully vaccinated, the upcoming Supreme Committee decisions are expected to ease some of the restrictions, albeit conditions.
The number of those who took the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine stood at 1,359,622 comprising 68 per cent, while the number of those who took two doses stood at 648,518 comprising 32 per cent.
Only 2,107 cases have been reported in the last 10 days of August.
The government had imposed four days full lockdown during the recently concluded Eid Al Adha and evening/night lockdowns between 5 pm and 4 am for two weeks between July 16 and July 29.
All these not only contributed to limiting the spread of Covid-19, but it also brought the new inpatients coming to hospitals, especially in intensive care units.
Currently, there are only 344 inpatients, including 158 in intensive care units.
The country was in partial lockdowns even during the holy month of Ramadhan and Eid Al Adha, which had a direct impact on businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Currently, home delivery of food is allowed by the SC during night lockdown and malls, shops, restaurants and cafes can receive customers only to 50 percent of their capacity.
A decision is also awaited on the attendance of employees of state’s administrative apparatus, which has been limited to 50 per cent of the total workforce.
Employees of government institutions who refuse to take vaccination doses without a convincing medical reason, will take legal action against them in the future, and private sector institutions may take the same approach,' he said, the government has warned.
Travel ban
Several private businesses have been urging authorities to allow the return of their expatriate workforce with valid visas as some projects have been affected due to manpower shortage.
One of the eagerly awaited decisions are lifting of restrictions from countries that are on the travel ban list, especially from Tanzania and also India, Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the UK that are home to most of the expatriate workforce.
The Sultanate has suspended entry of visitors from Sudan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and those coming from any other country if they had passed through any of these countries during the 14 days prior to requesting entry to the Sultanate.
The number of those who took the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine stood at 1,359,622 comprising 68 per cent, while the number of those who took two doses stood at 648,518 comprising 32 per cent.
Only 2,107 cases have been reported in the last 10 days of August.
The government had imposed four days full lockdown during the recently concluded Eid Al Adha and evening/night lockdowns between 5 pm and 4 am for two weeks between July 16 and July 29.
All these not only contributed to limiting the spread of Covid-19, but it also brought the new inpatients coming to hospitals, especially in intensive care units.
Currently, there are only 344 inpatients, including 158 in intensive care units.
The country was in partial lockdowns even during the holy month of Ramadhan and Eid Al Adha, which had a direct impact on businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Currently, home delivery of food is allowed by the SC during night lockdown and malls, shops, restaurants and cafes can receive customers only to 50 percent of their capacity.
A decision is also awaited on the attendance of employees of state’s administrative apparatus, which has been limited to 50 per cent of the total workforce.
Employees of government institutions who refuse to take vaccination doses without a convincing medical reason, will take legal action against them in the future, and private sector institutions may take the same approach,' he said, the government has warned.
Travel ban
Several private businesses have been urging authorities to allow the return of their expatriate workforce with valid visas as some projects have been affected due to manpower shortage.
One of the eagerly awaited decisions are lifting of restrictions from countries that are on the travel ban list, especially from Tanzania and also India, Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the UK that are home to most of the expatriate workforce.
The Sultanate has suspended entry of visitors from Sudan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and those coming from any other country if they had passed through any of these countries during the 14 days prior to requesting entry to the Sultanate.