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.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
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RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
How Sputnik V works
