More restrictions to curb Covid-19 if necessary

There is a possibility of taking more precautionary measures “if necessary” to curb the spread of Covid-19 virus in the country.

This was stated by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, while addressing a press conference last week. He indicated that the Supreme Committee is examining the situation on daily basis.

The minister said that specific categories are exempted from institutional quarantine and are not exempted from isolation and other associated procedures applied to all travellers coming to the Sultanate, and noted that around 1,700 citizens entered through air and land ports and have been quarantined in institutions since the decision on institutional quarantine came into force.

Due to delay in approaching health centres on time, some 10 cases were transferred directly to intensive care units, the minister said.

“We have worked to attract hundreds of nurses and doctors to support the medical staff in the Sultanate since the start of the pandemic”, he added.

With regard to the “modest” numbers of reserved doses of vaccines, he said that the financial aspect is not an obstacle in obtaining more vaccines, “but rather the inability of companies to produce needed quantities for all countries around the world.”