Muscat: The people in the Sultanate are embracing a new day today after the end of two-week-long night lockdown. Today, they don't have to hurry in the evening, nor worry about where to head for a night drive. Restaurateurs will lead a normal life with customers wanting to be served, shopping malls, hosting a beeline of customers and night joints witnessing friends' gatherings.
But beware!!! No freedom is sans a responsibility... No relaxation in rules is free from COVID-19 protocols.
Oman announced a complete night lock down from October 11 to 24 from 8 pm till 5 am as a measure to control COVID-19 infection cases as most of the sectors, except mosques and cinema halls, opened and resumed business as usual.
The new dawns that we are blessed with entail commitments from each of us and everyone has his or her own role to play in freeing the country from the tentacles of the deadly virus.
"Dear citizens and expatriates, and establishments please exercise maximum caution and implement precautionary measures aimed at curbing the rise in infections and deaths and report offenders to the authorities concerned," a statement from the Supreme Committee after the Wednesday meeting said.
The reckless behaviour of some individuals who participated in gatherings and caused the spread of the virus was a concern and the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic expressed its anxiety about the same and urged all to be committed to the national cause of fighting the pandemic.
Anyone found to be violating the rules of the lockdown could be slapped with fines ranging from RO 100 to RO 3,500 and imprisonment as well as deportation as the case may be.
Although the Supreme Committee has identified that the school year would begin on November 1, for the academic year 2020-2021, it has also endorsed the Blended Learning system of education, with emphasis on combining online study.
The people of Oman can be volunteers in the fight against coronavirus across various segments of the society in helping the authorities in educating people and creating awareness among people who speak different languages and support the great cause.
WHAT WE CAN DO
1) Wear face mask properly while going out
2) Wash hands with soap or cleanse with sanitizers often
3) Maintain social distancing
4) Cover Your Mouth & Nose
5) Never fail to report if you're sick
WHAT WE SHOULDN'T DO
1) Do not go out or move around unnecessarily
2) Do not mingle with other people at your homes or friends houses
3) Do not touch your face and nose often
4) Do not panic, instead, take it easy
5) Do not go to the beaches as they are not open
Think, if one of your actions can trigger the number of Corona cases in the country, shoot the number of casualties and invite further lockdowns, why can't we limit ourselves and stay indoors and help the authorities in tackling the COVID-19?
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