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The Covid situation in Oman, as elsewhere, continues to be critical, with the Supreme Committee warning of more stringent decisions, including full closure if the epidemiological situation warrants.
The SC has urged everyone to avoid practices that could lead to a surge such as failing to practise social distancing, wearing facemasks in mosques or other public settings, and holding social gatherings, funerals, Iftars, or weddings, and visiting commercial establishments at crowded times.
According to official sources, hospitals are operating to full capacity. The third wave cases are almost more than last year’s double.
Health experts have warned that the current Covid-19 situation is more severe than last year. The new variant is spreading faster by about 70 per cent, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and in critical cases because of the rapid spread of the third wave.
Over 130 deaths have been reported since the start of the pandemic at a rate of 10 deaths per day.
The number of new cases also averaged around 1,000-1,200 during this period.
The number of inpatients in hospitals was 786 on Thursday, including 267 cases in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) an increase of over 50 per cent. The recovery rate also dropped to below 90 per cent.
Meanwhile, the director of Covid-19 field hospital in Muscat has expressed concern about the third wave and added that the facility is ready to deal with any emergency.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, said that the Sultanate has focused on companies that have had a long history of producing vaccines, and has booked doses sufficient for 60 per cent of the Sultanate population.
The minister said 4,750,000 doses from Pfizer will be supplied to the Sultanate before the end of September, of which 1,350,000 will be supplied before the end of June, and negotiations are still underway to obtain 250,000 this month.
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