1,320 quarantined over virus

Muscat, Feb 29 - The number of people who have been quarantined over coronavirus (COVID-19) in Oman has reached 1,320, said the Minister of Health on Saturday as he urged the people to strictly follow all preventive measures. Speaking to the media after a review meeting held under his chairmanship, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi said the home quarantine process has been effective worldwide. He said hotline numbers will be provided in all governorates for direct communication with regards to any queries or procedures about the disease. In a separate statement, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said on Saturday that one of the six patients infected with COVID-19 has recovered, while other cases are still subject to a health follow-up and their condition is stable. It urged citizens and residents to avoid paying attention to rumours and take the information from reliable sources. Several international conferences scheduled to be held this month in Muscat have been either cancelled or rescheduled as fallout of the crisis. The MoH said on Thursday that all travellers coming from Iran after February 9 should contact the nearest healthcare institutions. Over 600 people stranded in Iran have returned due to the coordinated efforts of the competent authorities since February 25. The process will be completed by operating flights on Sunday to Shiraz and Mashhad on Monday. On Tuesday, the Taban Airlines of Iran will be operating the last flight from Shiraz to ensure the return of all stranded passengers from Iran. Qatar’s health ministry reported on Saturday the first case of coronavirus infection in the country. Deaths in Iran from coronavirus have hit 43, the highest number outside China and the total number of infected people has risen to 593, an Iranian health official said on Saturday.