Muscat: While the Royal Oman Police have started pulling up people for not wearing masks, citizens and expatiates have welcomed the new measures, mainly fines, announced by the government to stem the tide of the coronavirus.
The presence of the police was conspicuous with their mounted patrolling on all the alleyways in the capital city. They were found reprimanding people who were loitering, that too, without masks.
“What is important now is supporting the government in its battle against the virus. Any measure except anything that involves the privacy of people is welcome as it will help contain the spread of infection,” said Hamed al Wahaibi, a retired defence official.
He opined that the move to entrust the Royal Oman Police with the task of monitoring the situation, especially gathering of people, is decision in the right direction.
The Supreme Committee dealing with the COVID-19 situation has entrusted the ROP with the task to ensure adherence to regulations.
“It is true that people in Oman adhere to precautionary measures. But there are still many reckless people who roam around without following the guidelines. Fines are a tool that will ensure 100 per cent compliance,” Hamed said.
According to Ahmed al Balushi, a public sector employee, during the times of public health emergencies, governments can enforce reasonable mandatory regulations whether they are fines or other restrictions.
“We all know that the virus is contagious and has inflicted maximum damage to the world. Still people do not follow the guidelines issued by the authorities. So the government has to act harsh,”he said.
During the e-conference on Thursday, the Supreme Committee announced many strict measures including fines aimed at curbing the spread of the disease. A fine of RO 20 will be imposed on anyone found not wearing a face mask in public, including in commercial centres.
Shajahan Chittayil, an Indian expatriate, while welcoming the regulations said that all the regulations are aimed at protecting the people from the pandemic.
“We should do our part by adhering to the measures. We should realize the gravity of the situation and behave accordingly,” he said.
It is important to fight against the pandemic now. The whole world is cautious today and orders to avoid gatherings even during festivals whether at homes or in the public should be strictly followed, he said.
The committee has classified a gathering as an assembly of five persons or more who are not from the same household. Alongside this, any group of people that includes more than one family will also be considered as a gathering.
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