Oman books 370,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine
Despite the drop in COVID-19 infections in Oman and most activities returning to normal, the preventive measures issued by the Supreme Committee, including staying away from gatherings and wearing masks in public places, are still in place.
Addressing a Supreme Committee press conference on Thursday, H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Sa’eedi, Minister of Health, urged the public to adhere to the precautionary measures. “We have noticed that some people are not following the measures. The vaccine has arrived but that is not the end of the pandemic. The precautionary decisions, including stopping all gatherings and compulsory rule on wearing masks, are still in place. There is no change to that,” he added.
“We hope that we do not see the casualty figures rise again. We must commit to the precautionary measures against the
The vaccine has arrived but that is not the end of the pandemic. The precautionary decisions, including stopping all gatherings and compulsory rule on wearing masks, are still in place
H E DR SA’EEDI
coronavirus. Wearing a mask protects you and others from the risk of exposure to coronavirus and reflects your concern for public safety,” he added.
H E Dr Sa’eedi said that when the infection rate peaked in Oman, the number of cases in intensive care units reached 219.
“The decrease in cases is a result of everyone’s efforts and commitment to precautionary measures. I call on everyone not to be complacent and to continue adhering to these measures,” he said.
On the ongoing vaccination drive, H E Dr Saeedi said the total number of people in the sultanate who received the jab is 22,749. As of Thursday, 82 per cent of the target groups had been vaccinated. However, he noted that there is no scientific proof to confirm that a person who has been vaccinated is not a carrier of the virus.
“The sultanate has received 27,000 doses of the vaccine. In total, Oman has booked 370,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine,” he informed, adding that the obligation to take the vaccine for travel is still under study by the World Health Organization.
“When the vaccine is available for the private sector, the ministry will supervise the import, distribution and pricing. Currently, the categories covered in the vaccination drive include expatriates and Omanis, free of charge. In the first phase of the drive, 30 per cent of the target groups were expatriates,” H E Dr Sa’eedi said.