The coronavirus cases continue to rise in Oman as the Ministry of Health on Tuesday recorded 1,487 new COVID19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed casess in the country to 69,887. Oman will be imposing strict restrictions ahead of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, set to begin at the month-end. Muslims often mark the holiday with large feasts and family visits, which may cause the virus to spread. A total lockdown will be imposed on all the governorates, the Supreme Committee for Dealing with COVID-19 decided. All public spaces and shops will be closed during the lockdown, which will be enforced every night from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. All gatherings will be prohibited, and Eid prayers, going to Eid markets, visiting relatives and group Eid celebrations will be banned to prevent the virus from spreading. Patrols and checkpoints around the country will be intensified to ensure that the public comply with the new restrictions, the committee added. The majority of the new cases that the ministry reported on Tuesday were detected in Omani citizens, the ministry added. A total of 1,159 Omanis and 328 expatriates tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours. Eleven people died due to complications caused by COVID-19, according to the health ministry. This brings the total number of fatalities to 337. Meanwhile, the number of recoveries in Oman rose to 46,608 after 1,458 people recovered from the novel coronavirus. So far, 279,446 people have been tested across the country. — Agencies
