Published: Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 11:24 p. m.
Updated: Friday July 2020, 1:4am
Oman’s Public Health Minister said on Thursday that the sultanate had witnessed a “frightening” rise in Covid-19 cases that required increasing hospital capacity, particularly intensive care units. The country reported another 1,361 new coronavirus cases and 3 deaths on Thursday. last 24 hours, to bring the total to 42,555 cases with 188 deaths. “Over the last six weeks, there has been a radical reset that is very worrying and frightening,” Minister Ahmed bin Al Saeedi told a news conference. He blamed Americans who did not wear masks or practice social distancing and said some workers were visiting offices when they had been in contact with inflamed people, rather than isolating themselves. He said since then there have been more than 9,000 new infections and 43 deaths. Last Thursday saw the largest weekly increase since Oman reported its first cases in late February. Saeedi said Oman, a country of 4. 7 million people, was working to develop extensive care unit capacity and planned to establish a hospital with capacity for 250 people. up to 300 beds in the Muscat region for non-urgent cases. Hospitals are coping for now, but are under pressure, especially intensive care units, he said. Oman will also publish a 10-week national survey on July 12, involving citizens and non-citizens, to analyze the spread of the coronavirus. Blood samples to detect antibodies will be part of the data collection, the Ministry of Health reported on Twitter. In March, Oman began introducing lockdown measures in some regions such as Muscat, Dhofar and Duqm and in some tourist cities, but since April it has gradually allowed grocery malls to reopen and lifted the lockdown in the Muscat region, which includes the capital. Saeedi said mosques will not be allowed to reopen and large gatherings will not be allowed to take place given the current infection rate. Air and land borders remain closed for repatriation flights. Saudi Arabia, the giant of the six Arab Gulf states, has recorded the highest rate of coronavirus infections in the Gulf with more than 194,200 cases and nearly 1,700 deaths.
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