The Ministry of Health (MoH) has urged all citizens and residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus and participate in the national immunisation programme.
However, it made clear that vaccination is not compulsory and not imposed on anyone. The ministerial committee on immunisation against Covid-19 has said that the number of vaccinated people will reach 1.5 million by the end of June, including new target groups.
"We hope that everyone, irrespective of their nationalities or any other, gets vaccinated and take part in the national immunisation programme against the pandemic," a senior official at the ministry told the Observer.
"While mass vaccination centre provides jabs for citizens above the age of 45 upon online registration, private hospitals are allowed to vaccinate expatriates with Pfizer or AstraZeneca for a payment," he added.
Expatriates need to either register for the jab or walk in with their identity proof to get vaccinated.
Health workers are getting vaccinated with either of these or Sputnik for free.
"Ministry is yet to announce how people with no identity documents can get their dose," he added.
However, embassies of different countries stated that a strategy would be chalked to vaccinate people from their respective countries in due course of time.
Although vaccination is not mandatory for all, experts say vaccination proof is a must in the future for various purposes, including travel and provision of some services as corporates can opt to welcome only those who are vaccinated.
"In my opinion, the vaccine passports will help the travel and tourism industry in Oman along with the international travel sector to get back in shape," says Abeer al Balushi, Assistant Manager - Corporate Communications, Governance Risk Management and Compliance at Oman Air, adding that talks with the IATA for a digital passport that will help travelers move more easily in the age of coronavirus and after the pandemic are in progress.
"Vaccine proof will serve a great purpose post-pandemic while passport serves travel purpose," says Sunil D'Souza, CEO, Travel City Group.
“Having vaccination proof is clinically right in order to accept passengers after having two jabs completed,” an airline official said.
Meanwhile, Oman reported 41 deaths on Tuesday, making the total number of fatalities touch 2,782. There's been an increase in the number of new cases and 2,037 cases were registered while 1,079 patients left hospitals after recovering from the infection.
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