MUSCAT: Government will take strict action against hotels designated as institutional quarantine centres, if they are found violating Covid-19 norms, including temporarily cancelling their licence, a top official at the Ministry of Social Development informed The Arabian Stories.

Majority of the hotels in Oman are using their facilities as isolation centres since February after the Supreme Committee made institutional quarantine mandatory. “The reason why the Supreme Committee imposed institutional quarantine mandatory is due to the lack of commitment to home quarantine norms. We have received reports of a number of hotels violating Covid-19 protocols in the last few weeks and legal measures are being taken against them,” the official said.

According to him, the Relief and Shelter Sector at the Ministry are working round the clock to ensure individuals and hotel establishments follow the Covid-19 guidelines. “The commitment (to follow guidelines) is not alone for the individuals but also for hotels as well. They need to ensure that the passenger who is in quarantine at their facility receives the best quality service till he ends the 7-day quarantine period,” he added.