The Sultanate saw a major surge in cases, including ICU patients, even as the government unveiled a major plan to vaccinate 30 per cent of the population by the end of next month. The Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported 1,553 new cases and 10 deaths.
A total of 129 people were admitted to hospitals across the country, bringing the total inpatients to 983, including 303 in intensive care units.
With 18,188 patients still sick of Covid in the country, the recovery rate dropped to 90.9 per cent on Tuesday.
CHALLENGES
There are still some challenges in the vaccination programme as some people are reluctant to take doses due to misinformation.
Badr bin Saif al Rawahi, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases Control at the Ministry of Health, said that taking vaccinations will become a condition for entering educational and government institutions in the future.
He added that it would complete immunising 30 per cent of the population before July at the current pace of vaccine supply.
Meanwhile, the ministry has started vaccinating all Omani employees in the public sector, irrespective of their age.
However, the second dose of vaccine is provided to both citizens and expatriates, officials at one of the main centres told the Observer.
Mai al Abri got vaccinated at the Jaber bin Zaid School vaccination centre in Wattayah on Tuesday. “The turnout was good, but there is still scope for the process to be better organised. They should allow a certain number of people to enter the halls. There should be some order,” she added.
The ministry has announced that the target groups as part of the national campaign for immunisation against Covid-19 for June and July would represent a large segment of the population.
The first stage, which started on May 26, included the General Education Diploma students and the supervising teams.
The same stage will include full immunisation of the population of Musandam Governorate with the second dose, the second dose for those who have completed 10 weeks from the date of the first, basic service providers working in the Royal Oman Police, the Sultan’s Armed Forces, and the security services, basic service providers in the government sector, complete immunisation of health workers in private health institutions.
Vaccines will be made available at all private health institutions during this period.
The second stage (from June 21) will cover all adults 45 years and above. The third stage (first half of July) will be for the immunisation of higher education students, workers in the education sector, and academics in the higher education sector.
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