MUSCAT: As the nationwide lockdown and the night movement ban has come to an end, the Supreme Committee has urged the public to adhere to the strict coronavirus precautionary measures including wearing face masks and following social distancing.

In a statement issued on Friday announcing the end of movement ban in the country, the Supreme Committee said: “While appreciating the great response shown by the citizens and residents, the Committee calls upon everyone to continue to strictly adhere to wearing face masks, keep physical distancing and maintain hand hygiene along with other preventive measures in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus.”

Oman’s 15-day nationwide lockdown came to an end on August 8, while the movement ended on August 15. The Sultanate has managed to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, thanks to the lockdown and the night movement ban. However, authorities have cautioned the public that the fight against Covid-19 is not over. “We want to reiterate that easing restrictions is not the end of the pandemic. The fight against Covid-19 will continue and we must be careful at all times,” a senior Ministry of Health official told The Arabian Stories.

Oman’s total coronavirus cases stands at 82,924 but 77,550 patients have already recovered. However, the greater concern is the rise in mortality rate in the country. Oman now has the second highest death cases in GCC. 70 people have died in the past 10 days, taking the total death count to 562.

“We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives but for that, we need all of you to support. The fight against Covid-19 is a collective responsibility. So when you step out of your home, make sure you’re responsible in not protecting yourself but also the community too,” the MOH official added.