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supermarkets have started online ‘order and collect later’ facilities to avoid crowding at their premises and help people follow the #stayathome campaign.
Online services, however, do take a day or two due to unprecedented demand from customers in the current situation.
“It is preferable to isolate the elderly inside houses and apply social distancing even among the family members,” said the Supreme Committee members during the online briefing at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education.
Dr Saif al Maamari, Adviser to the Minister of Education, while explaining about the ministry’s plan, said: “The ministry created a platform for distance education. The experiment that we are doing now may be inevitable even in future, as networks and devices were provided to some students”, he said.
Coordination is in progress with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to develop plans with ‘Unified Admission’ for public diploma students, he said.
Al Maamari clarified, “We are exploring alternatives with the suspension of classroom study. I assure you that solutions will be in the best interest of the students, as we care for their future.”
Brigadier General Saeed al Asimi, Director-general of Operations at the Royal Oman Police, said the check points at the Muscat Governorate have been activated.
“Movement of individuals to and from the governorate will be limited, and we appeal to everyone to understand the main reason for this. In light of this national crisis, we ask everyone to be careful and cooperate. The closure decision has been taken to limit the spread of the virus. It is all in the interest of the homeland and the people”, he said.
He said hospitalisation in government healthcare is now limited to expectant mothers, dialysis patients and other emergency cases.
The Supreme Committee tasked with tackling COVID-19, reiterated its call for the citizens and residents in the Sultanate to adhere to the instructions of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and give special care to those suffering from chronic diseases like those taking immunosuppressive drugs, because they are more vulnerable to get infected.
All the entries and exits of Muscat Governorate will be closed for all except for emergency cases, which will be evaluated and determined by the authorities in charge of the implementation of the lockdown