In light of the identification of the new COVID-19 variant, Oman announced that it will temporarily close its borders for a week.
State News Agency ONA announced on Sunday, January 17, that closure will take effect the next day starting at 6 PM (1400 GMT). It noted that the closure may also be extended.
Oman to Close Borders Again to Prevent Spread of New COVID-19 Variant
The article posted by the Arabian Business said that the committee reviewed the report of the specialized technical team on the spread of the new Covid-19 strain and means of protecting all individuals of society against the disease, in general, and the new variant in particular.
“A growing rate of lenience has been observed among citizens and individuals in implementing precautionary measures approved by the authorities concerned. It has been noticed that social events drew about large gatherings in tents and other venues, making it possible for the virus to spread among segments of society,” the report noted.
Oman had recently reopened its land, air, and sea borders on December 29 after the government temporarily shut these borders off due to the new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus, which appeared in the United Kingdom.
To date, Oman has recorded 131,790 cases and 1,512 deaths during the pandemic, with 124,067 recoveries.
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