Easing of restrictions in coming days?

Muscat: The decline in daily Covid-19 cases after lockdowns and full vaccination of 32 per cent of the target population, may prompt authorities to revisit some of the restrictions, especially the air travel ban on expatriates.

The number of those who took the first dose of the vaccines stood at 1,359,622 comprising 68 percent, while 648,518 (32 percent) were double jabbed.

Only 3,085 new daily cases, including 978, on August 1, were reported this month so far.

The lockdowns not only contributed to limiting the spread of Covid-19, but it also reduced hospitalisation of patients, especially those in intensive care units At present, there are only 344 inpatients, including 158 in intensive care units.

The Supreme Committee to tackle Covid-19 had imposed four days total lockdown before the Eid al Adha and evening or night lockdowns between 5 pm and 4 am for two weeks between July 16 and July 29.

A decision is also awaited on the attendance of government employees in offices, which has been limited to 50 percent of the total workforce.

Employees of government institutions who refuse to take vaccination doses without a convincing medical reason will face legal action in the future. The private sector companies may take the same approach, official sources say.

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.

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 shortages.

One of the eagerly awaited decisions is the lifting of restrictions on expatriates from countries that are on the travel ban list, especially from India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the UK.

The Sultanate had suspended entry to visitors in May from Sudan, Lebanon, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, the 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.