Oman convicts 12 people for violating COVID-19 rules

Cairo: Omani courts have convicted 12 people, including eight foreigners, of violating the country’s precautions against COVID-19.

Courts in several governorates of the sultanate this week have issued rulings ranging from three months in prison and a fine of OMR 1,000, Omani media reported.

The courts also ordered the deportation of the eight foreigners, who included two women.

They were convicted of violating a ban on movement, illegal gatherings and failure to observe domestic quarantine.

The offenders include four Omanis, two Indians, three Bangladeshis and three Tanzanians. Their names and photos were published in the media in line with a recent decision by authorities to deter would- be offenders and help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Last month, a state supreme committee in charge of tackling COVID-19 in Oman declared that names and photos of violators of precautions against the highly infectious disease will be published in the media.

Names and photos of several violators have since been made public after court rulings.

The sultanate so far has registered a tally of 119,442 virus cases and 1,326 related fatalities.