Muscat: Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al Busaidi, Minister of Interior, on Monday chaired a joint meeting of the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the sub-committee branching from the Supreme Committee that is mandated to tackle economic impacts of coronavirus.
The Supreme Committee valued the commitment of members of society. It affirmed that this cooperation led to a tangible decline in number of infected persons and mortality cases, besides bringing down the number of people admitted to hospital wards and intensive care units.
The committee urged members of society to continue abiding by all procedures and precautionary measures to stem the virus spread.
This, the committee said, includes wearing face masks, maintaining physical distance, using sanitizers and avoiding gatherings to help spare society and individuals the risks posed by this serious disease.
The Supreme Committee said that the general trend is to cautiously tackle ways of living with the virus. Towards this end, there has been well-studied re-opening of activities in a manner that maintains the State’s performance of its duties and sustain the operation of the private sector, the Committee said.
“The epidemiological condition is the criterion that governs future decision-making on re-opening of activities or the re-locking of the same, said the Committee. It stressed that all approved precautionary measures have to be implemented by individuals and establishments of public and private sectors.
Accordingly, the Committee decided to end the period of downsizing number of employees needed to attend at the workplace in units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus and other public legal entities with effect from Sunday, December 6, 2020 (20 Rabee Al Thani).
All departments and employees are required to stick to preventive precautionary measures undertaken to curb the spread of coronavirus disease, said the Committee.
Within the context of its keenness to resume economic activities and support the operation of the private sector, the Committee decided to allow the issuance of tourist visas for entry to the Sultanate provided that tourists arrive as part of tourist delegations organised by hotels and tourism companies.
The Committee also decided the resumption of a new set of commercial and industrial activities. All businesses, old and new, have to abide by all preventive measures to curb the virus, said the Supreme Committee, adding that the departments concerned will announce the activities allowed to be re-opened.
The Supreme Committee prayed to the Almighty Allah to protect everyone against all harm. --ONA
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