Oman is welcoming the fourth Eid under the shadow of lockdown in 17 months ever since the deadly virus stuck the world.
Oman announced full lockdown for three days during Eid in view of a potential spike in the number of cases if people go out free and mingle with each other, flouting Covid-19 protocol as experienced last year.
"How can we celebrate Eid when our dear ones are dying due to covid every day," Dr Ahmed Mohammed Saeedi, Minister of Health, asked at the Supreme Committee meeting last Thursday.
To ensure that the lockdown is implemented fully, checkpoints between various governorates will be instituted, and people's movement between these regions will be strictly stopped these days.
Last year around, the highest one-day cases of Covid-19 was reported on one of the Eid holidays as family gatherings had triggered the surge in the number.
According to the Supreme Committee, the family members, friends, and relatives who travelled across the country, from wilayats to wilayats, engaged barbers, and got their dresses stitched by tailors despite the lockdown, have all contributed to the high incidence.
"Numerous family gatherings flouting the prevailing Corona rules were the root cause behind the high incidence of infection among Omanis," Dr Saif al Abri, Director General of Diseases Surveillance and Control had said.
"In the past few weeks before Eid Al Adha, some people took the eased restrictions for granted and travelled to meet their family and friends," he said adding that human contact was the sole reason behind the high number of cases.
In light of the experience, the authorities have urged both citizens and residents to avoid extra-familial gatherings just as the Eid Al Adha is round the corner and be loyal to the country by avoiding such meetings.
"We would like to urge all believers to avoid gatherings at homes where people from outside, be it a relative or friend, are assembled before, during and post the holy days," a senior scholar at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs told the Observer.
The Supreme Committee on Covid-19 has banned all social and family gatherings and group prayers which should be conducted individually or just within family members as the case may be and not otherwise.
"Special Eid prayers can be conducted individually and not otherwise. No others, from outside one's home, should be encouraged to pray together in view of the contagion", he said.
Similarly, the abattoirs and slaughterhouses will remain closed during the Eid days, and sufficient precautions must be taken if anyone wants to get their sacrifice done well in advance, and strict action would be initiated against the offenders.
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