Oman mulls stopping flights to countries with high number of COVID-19 cases

Muscat: Oman’s Minister of Health Dr Ahmed Al Saeedi in an interview with Oman TV yesterday indicated that as per the data received, 18 per cent of arrivals from Tanzania to Oman had tested positive for COVID-19. Terming that as a high number that has to be factored in the current situation, Dr Saeedi said the flights from countries with high rate of infections will be stopped.

Currently, Oman Air has flights between Muscat and Zanzibar as well as to Dar Es Salam in Tanzania.

Talking about the increasing number of patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU), the Minister said some people’s refusal to take vaccine was a contributing factor in this regard. He assured that those who have taken the first shot of Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine will be given the second shot and that the delay will not in any way change the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Urging everyone in the prescribed target groups to take the vaccine doses, Dr Saeedi informed that the turnout for vaccine in some places are low.