Muscat: Three new cases of Coronvirus were reported in Oman on Wednesday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement. The cases are - two Iranians and one Omani, who returned from the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the Ministry of Heath, the three cases are under quarantine. With this, the total number of Coronavirus reported in the Sultanate have reached 15.
Earlier, the government on Wednesday announced new measures to be followed by the public, schools, and authorities while reiterating people to stay away from rumours.
The Majlis A'Shura hosted Dr Saif al Abri, Director General of Disease Surveillance and Control, who said the number of cases registered in the Sultanate remained 12 as of Tuesday and around 2,700 people were under domestic and institutional quarantine.
Al Abri said legal measures of Infectious Diseases Law will be initiated against groups that do not adhere to domestic quarantine procedures. He said the effectiveness of the efforts to combat the spread of this virus depends on cooperation and the individuals' response to the instructions. The procedures to be followed focussing on disease prevention including, general hygiene guidelines while sneezing, and coughing.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has issued measures to be followed by schools to avoid spreading of Coronavirus. The acting Under-secretary, Ministry of Education for Planning and Human Resources Development, called for postponing of all extracurricular or educational activities at the governorate or school level until further notice.
"Schools shall conduct campaigns that include a segment in the morning assembly for tips on preventive measures to be followed to reduce the spread of infectious diseases," a circular from the ministry said.
They shall put notices and posters at suitable places that are easy to read and follow by students, apart from social media and text messages to spread the culture of awareness and health education in the school as well as the local community. Schools shall find a suitable mechanism for the operations of the cafeteria that is appropriate for the density of students in the school, which will avoid crowding of students at the same place. School bus drivers shall keep windows open during transportation and clean buses regularly with sanitary sterilisers and disinfectants.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of a global shortage and price gouging for protective equipment to fight the fast-spreading Coronavirus and asked companies and governments to increase production by 40 per cent as the death toll from the respiratory illness mounted.
Dr Ahmed al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said, "To confront the challenges we face together to save lives and promote health/well-being, we need to develop innovative approaches, join forces, pool our ideas and harmonise our actions so that the benefit to the people we serve is maximised."
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday suspended Umra pilgrimages to the two holy mosques of Mecca and Medina for the Saudi citizens and residents in the Kingdom. This step has come to support efforts taken by the international organisations to tackle the spread of Coronavirus.
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