Quarantine norms stay

Clearing doubts about quarantine procedures and Covid-19 tests for inbound travellers, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has clarified that everyone has to follow the laid down practices.

Accordingly, a person above 15 years of age who arrives at the international borders of the Sultanate of Oman needs to take a PCR test at the arrival terminal, wear the tracking bracelet following which home-quarantine at the address given to the airport officials is a must. “The quarantine requirements in the country for those who arrive from other countries shall continue,” Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, said.

In a detailed clarification note, it says if the person is diagnosed positive in the PCR test, he should be isolated for 7 days from the date he arrived in Oman.

“In case of Covid-19 symptoms during the quarantine period, the person should go to the nearby, assigned health institution for PCR test. Necessary action is to be taken based on the results,” a senior doctor at the Communicable Diseases Department, said.

If the person doesn’t show symptoms during the period of isolation, a second PCR is to be done on the eighth day. If the result is negative, he should go to the assigned health institution to remove the electronic tracking bracelet and end his isolation.

If the result of the PCR done on the eighth day is positive the person should be isolated for another 10 days from the date of the second PCR test.

A second PCR test is mandatory irrespective of the days spent in quarantine and to remove the wristband, according to medical professionals.

“We have been instructed by the Ministry of Health that those who are in quarantine should take a second PCR test irrespective of the number of days completed in quarantine to end the quarantine and get their wrist band removed,” said Dr Thashli Thankachan, a specialist internist at a private hospital.

According to the MoH note, in the case of laboratory-confirmed cases, the person is to be isolated for 10 days counted from the start of symptoms provided that there is no more fever for more than 48 hours without the use of the antipyretics and the rest of the symptoms improved.

“If the symptoms are not present, the person has to be isolated for 14 days from the last date of exposure to the infected person after which the isolation is terminated without the need to repeat the PCR. These are procedures that we are following,” she added.