MUSCAT — Oman has announced an indefinite ban on public and private gatherings as the Sultanate seeks to combat the second wave of coronavirus, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported on Wednesday. The ban includes educational institutions, weddings, conferences, seminars and exhibitions. The move, which came into force on Thursday, was taken by the country's supreme committee responsible for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday a meeting headed by Minister of Interiror Sayyid Hamoud Faisal Al-Busaidi. The meeting deliberated on the serious developments of the pandemic that emerged in many countries around the world due to risks posed by the new variants of COVID-19 causing a sharp rise in infection and death cases and putting huge pressure on health systems. In a statement issued after the meeting, 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, the committee noted. Although Oman has already closed its land and air borders until Feb. 1, the committee advised people against traveling abroad on official or private trips.
