MUSCAT: The Supreme Committee members are holding a press conference to discuss the latest updates of coronavirus.

Speakers at the conference:

1. His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Saidi, Minister of Health
2. Dr. Ahmed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport

Excerpts from the press conference:

Minister of Health: We have no indication that the opening of some commercial activities caused an increase in the number of cases of Covid-19 in Oman.
Minister of Health: More than 27,000 coronavirus cases recorded in Oman in just one month.
Minister of Health: 106 death cases reported in one month.
Minister of Health: Number of cases increasing because some people are not following preventive measures.
Minister of Transport: Reopening of airports still under discussion.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: 438 cases were registered in Dhofar of which 102 are Omanis and 336 are expats. 80 expats are in institutional isolation in Salalah.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: Seeb has 24% of total Covid-19 cases in Oman.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: A workers camp that housed 2,067 people in Seeb was closed, and many other camps, factories and companies in Seeb were closed too.
Dr. Mujahid Al Busaidi: We have observed complications among young people aged 27 and who have no chronic diseases.
Minister of Health: No plans to reopen mosques in Oman; no date is fixed. Any place that has large gatherings is always dangerous. The virus is very active still.
Minister of Health: If the number of cases increases, we may have to open field hospitals. The increase in the number of Covid-19 cases may prevent other cases from receiving appropriate treatment, we didn’t reach that level yet.
Minister of Health: We expected 80 deaths a day during the peak period, but that did not happen, thank God.
Minister of Health: There are pressures to use the rapid scan devices but they need to be revised, as we are using the internationally approved PCR examination.
Minister of Transport: 85% of commercial activities and about 100 percent of industrial activities have been opened. All operating protocols and precautionary measures have been announced.
Dr. Huda Al Khalili: The number of cases in intensive care in the Royal Hospital about 44 cases.
Minister of Health: 450 health workers are having Covid-19 and two of them are in ICU.
Minister of Health: Dexamethasone is being used in Oman and the study shows its effectiveness and we have observed its positive results.
Minister of Transport: The decision to Omanise delivery profession for restaurants and shops will be approved soon. The decision has been due to the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among expatriates.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: Anyone who needs a check-up is screened daily, and if we do 4,000 tests, it means that 4,000 people needed to be tested. In some areas, the positive result in the tests was 98%.
Minister of Transport: We are not in the position to answer the compensation of the Hajj operators, as this can be referred to the competent authority, which is the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs.
Dr. Saif bin Salim Al Abri: The disease is now in every Wilayat and every Governorate. We are now in a flat curve, as the cases range from 800 to 1200 cases per day.
Minister of Health: Some countries had to take the decision to introduce lockdown to some institutions because of non-compliance, and we hope we will not have to follow this decision here in Oman.
Minister of Transport: With regard to reopening businesses, the supervising unit of each sector usually sets the preventive measures. As for newspapers, there is an ongoing coordination with the Minister of Information to set the appropriate controls.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: Wilayat al Seeb contains the highest percentage of infected cases among Omanis, due to the direct contact between families during the month of Ramadan and Eid al Fitr.
Minister of Health: The cost of treatment between insurance companies & private health institutions was agreed & determined directly without an intervention from the Ministry, and the sponsor must take his responsibility.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: About 172,000 tests conducted cumulatively to date, and daily check-ups range from 3,500 to 4,500.
Minister of Health: The decision of locking down Dhofar Governorate and some of the touristic areas was to prevent gathering, and it is ongoing until the 3rd of July. The decision is under review and might be extended depending on the results.
Minister of Health: We know that people are starting to get bored and tired of staying in their homes, but going out does not mean going out for gatherings,banquets, weddings and not to take care as the virus is still spreading.
Dr. Sayyid Mujahid Rafa’A Al Busaidi: A number of research conducted on the medications used for treatment, the immune plasma, the virus itself, and the impacts of the virus on the human body and its relationship with the immune system.