Flights at Muscat Airport normal

MUSCAT, MARCH 16 - The Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA) on Monday said all flights — both passenger and cargo — will continue to operate at Muscat International Airport. The clarification came in response to reports that the authority was mulling the possibility of closing airports in the country. “The reports being circulated about the closure of the airports are not true. We would like to state that all the airports in Oman are operating as per schedule,” PACA said in a statement. At the same time, the Ministry of Tourism asked all hotel establishments in the Sultanate to implement the decisions issued by the Supreme Committee.

Officials and specialists from the ministry visited several tourism facilities to ensure that precautionary measures are in place to limit the spread of the COVID-19. The ministry had asked all hotel establishments and other related facilities to halt all social gatherings including weddings, celebrations and other events in the halls and the interior and exterior spaces of hotel establishments as of ‪Tuesday (March 17).

Guidelines

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health urged people to avoid visiting commercial markets unless it is necessary. Hospitals in Oman have issued guidelines to patients and relatives visiting them. There will be a total ban on visits to ICU and burn units (in case of trauma care at Khoula Hospital). First degree relatives can visit the patients (one by one) and they would not be allowed to spend more than 10 minutes during regular visiting hours. At the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Muscat, the visiting hour is between 4 pm and 6 pm.

For outpatients, only one companion is allowed and the person should be free of respiratory symptoms and fever. For outpatients with symptoms like fever, flu, sore throat and cough, they should inform the nurse at the entrance gate. The Royal Hospital said that starting from Monday the treatment services provided for routine non-emergency cases (whose delay in appointments does not directly affect their health) will be temporarily suspended until further notice.

Vinod Nair & Kabeer yousuf