Oman bans public gatherings indefinitely to curb Covid rise

Sultanate's supreme committee blames non-compliance with official guidance for recent increase in case numbers

A man receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the Omani capital, Muscat. AFP

Oman on Thursday announced an indefinite ban on public and private gatherings amid a resurgence in daily Covid-19 cases.

The sultanate's supreme committee responsible for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic said the ban included educational institutions, weddings, conferences, seminars and exhibitions.

The committee blamed non-compliance with coronavirus precautionary measures, such as wearing face masks and observing social-distancing rules for "the marked increase" in the number of infections and hospital admissions.

Private businesses, the committee said, failed “to comply with the health procedures” put in place to curb the spread of the virus.

Although Oman has already closed its land and air borders until February 1, the committee advised people against travelling abroad on official or private trips.

Oman’s Health Ministry on Thursday reported 167 new Covid-19 cases and one death related to the virus.

The number of infections in the sultanate to date has reached 133,574 while 1,525 people have died.

The ministry said 93 coronavirus patients are receiving hospital treatment 26 of whom are in intensive care.

The Education Ministry partially reopened schools from January 3, while local universities planned to resume classes from February 15.

The new restrictive measures caught many by surprise, forcing them to make last-minute changes to their plans.

“We were planning a trade exhibition early next month but obviously now it will not take place," said Saada Al Saidi, 56, the proprietor of Muscat Fashion and Beauty Products. "The problem is postponing it will cost us money since we already made financial arrangements. The decision came out of the blue and totally unexpected.”

The prohibition on private functions disrupted schedules finalised weeks and months in advance, leaving many families in stress.

“My daughter’s wedding reception is on February 19 and now we are not sure whether the ban will cover up to that date or not,” said Sabah Al Jahadhami, 52. “It is a ban without an end and it is putting the family in a lot of stress. We don’t know whether to keep the booked reception date or cancel it to another date.”

Previous lockdowns and a curtailment of gatherings were effective in bringing down case numbers in Oman.

The sultanate has vaccinated thousands of people already but slowed down the introduction of the Pfizer-BioNTech because of global production issues.

Pfizer says it is modifying its Belgium factory, which has reached its production capacity, to increase its output in the coming weeks.