Over 3,000 cases, 31 deaths in 3 days

The Ministry of Health said that over 3,000 cases and 31 deaths were recorded in the last 72 hours.

The ministry has reported 3,139 new case, bringing the total number of cases registered in the Sultanate to 163,157, apart from 31 new Covid 19-related deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,712.

The total recovery cases reached 146,677, which is 90 per cent of the total cases reported.

Ninety-seven patients were hospitalised during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of inpatients in hospitals to 590, including 186 in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

Meanwhile, as per the contract signed with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Sultanate received the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines at Muscat International Airport on Saturday night.

“The first batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the Sultanate on Saturday at Muscat International Airport’’, the Ministry of Health said.

It added that the total number of people vaccinated in the Sultanate (both Pfizer and AstraZeneca) as of last Thursday stood at 139,522 people.

The ministry said the Sultanate has contracted with the International Federation of vaccines to obtain one million doses, which targets 10 per cent of the population.

Dr Mohammed bin Saif al Hosani, Under-Secretary for Health Affairs and Member of the Supreme Committee, recently said that the Sultanate will immunize 30 per cent of the population by the end of June and 70 per cent by the end of this year.

“Millions of people have safely received Covid-19 vaccines and all of the approved vaccines have been carefully tested and continue to be monitored,” the WHO has said.

Like all vaccines, Covid-19 vaccines go through a rigorous, multi-stage testing process, including large clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people. These trials are specifically designed to identify any safety concerns.

“A panel convened by WHO analyses the results from clinical trials and recommends whether and how the vaccines should be used. Officials in individual countries decide whether to approve the vaccines for national use and develop policies for how to use the vaccines based on WHO recommendations,” it added.