MUSCAT: The members of the Supreme Committee is addressing the media to discuss the latest developments on the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Following are the speakers:
1- His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Saidi, Minister of Health and member of the Supreme Committee
2- Dr. Saif Al Abri, Director General of Disease Control and Monitoring at the Ministry of Health
3- Dr. Hamad Al Harthi, Director of Al Nahda Hospital.

Highlights from the press conference:

Minister of Health: No country can pretend the pandemic is over
Minister of Health: Wearing a muzzle with and observing social distancing is the most effective means of protection from the virus.
Minister of Health: Some of the deaths that were recorded were cases that did not go out of their homes, but the virus infected them from outside from one of the visitors.
Minister of Health: First part of the field hospital will open this month.
Minister of Health: More than 22,000 in home isolation.
Dr. Saif Al Abri: 1200 cases have been tested in last 24 hours and the positive cases reduced from 50 per cent to 17 per cent.
Minister of Health: The total cases in ICU decrease by 40%, while hospitalised cases reduced by 38%.
Minister of Health: The number of inpatients in hospitals are still worrying, but they are gradually decreasing.
‎These numbers can escalate at any moment if there is no compliance with the procedures.
Minister of Health: Hundreds gather on beaches without following the safety measures.
Minister of Health: The number of plasma donors during August reached 221, with a total of 506 plasma units.
Minister of Health: We have succeeded in avoiding the collapse of our health system, as what happened in other countries. And we will succeed when we reach zero cases of COVID-19.
Dr Saif Al Abri: We hope that the (self-reporting) feature of suspected cases will be implemented through the smart phone application (Tarassud +) very soon, in five languages.
Minister of Health: Cinemas are still being studied to be opened.
Minister of Health: At the meeting of the health ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Sultanate presented the unified purchase of the vaccine
Minister of Health: Success in controlling the virus is when we reach zero cases.
Minister of Health: Supreme Committee will discuss in the next meeting regarding the opening of airports and land borders
Minister of Health: We have received OMR 32 million in donations to the Coronavirus fund, and more than OMR 28 million have been disbursed, and the remaining is more than OMR 4 million.
Minister of Health: There is a decision to return employees to government institutions at a rate of 60% to 70%, and remote work continues.
Minister of Health: There was an intention to participate in clinical trials of the vaccine, but most of the companies placed impossible conditions.
Minister of Health: In the Sultanate, we have detected cases of diabetes (type 1) as a result of being infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19).hese cases have no history of this disease previously.
Minister of Health: 30% of those in intensive care are at risk of developing kidney failure, which is a high percentage.
Minister of Health: I have received a call from a citizen about a gathering of hundreds of people on a beach without wearing face masks or keeping physical distance; this is totally reckless!
Minister of Health: We can’t have policemen at every door, every restaurant, and every beach.
Dr.Saif Al Abri: There are currently ongoing talks with two sides, the International Vaccine Alliance and a vaccine producing company.
Dr.Saif Al Abri: If we are in a position to enter a clinical trial phase, there are protocols and ethical requirements that can be used as there are differences between the types of vaccines and the requirements to enter clinical trials.
Dr.Saif Al Abri: Not entering a clinical trial does not deprive the Sultanate from obtaining vaccines.