MUSCAT: The Supreme Committee members are holding a press conference on Thursday to talk about the latest developments regarding coronavirus in Oman.

Following are the members addressing the media

• His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Saidi, Minister of Health
• His Excellency Qais bin Mohammed Al Yusuf, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion
• HE Essam Al Zadjali, Chairman of Muscat Municipality
• Dr. Ahmed Al Mundheri, MOH
• Dr. Saif Al Abri, MOH
  
  Excerpts from the press conference:
  
  Minister of Health: The number of people vaccinated against Covid 19 in the Sultanate has increased to 1,266,293 people, 36% of the target number.
  
  Minister of Health: How can we celebrate Eid when we are losing our dear ones on a daily basis?
  
  Minister of Health: With regard to public health, the language of numbers is the most appropriate in responding to inquiries and questions about the closure.
  
  Minister of Health: The decisions of the Supreme Committee depend on evidence and indicators .. and the closure has proven that it leads to a decrease in the epidemiological curve of Covid 19
  
  The Minister of Health: More than 1.9 million doses of vaccines have arrived in the Sultanate so far.
  
  Minister of Health: We aim to immunize 60 to 65% of the target group with at least a dose of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of August
  
  WHO Regional Director: Covid-19 infections in the region exceed 11 million, and deaths exceed 220,000
  
  Minister of Health: What happened during Eid al-Fitr and the gatherings, weddings or others, had led to a very sharp rise in the number of cases and deaths.
  
  Minister of Health: What the Supreme Committee seeks in all decisions is to preserve public health and people’s lives. After the previous closures and adherence to the procedures, there was a very noticeable decrease in the numbers between October and January of last year at various levels and comparisons.
  
  Minister of Health: There is a lot of controversy that has been raised about the complete closure on the days of Eid, as if the members of the Supreme Committee do not feel the suffering and tragedy that everyone is going through, and they do not prefer that the Eid be as we are used to, but the reason is clear, we want to reduce the spread of this pandemic and preserve human lives.
  
  Minister of Health: A lot of controversy has been raised about the complete closure.
  
  Minister of Health: The health sector has exceeded its absorptive hours and hundreds of cases are in intensive care, and health workers have been performing their work for 18 months without a break.
  
  Minister of Health: The vaccination campaign will stop during the days of complete closure, to continue intensively after that.
  
  WHO Regional Director: An increase in the number of cases was observed in 9 countries of the region after the decrease in cases and deaths over a period of two months, and this week an increase in deaths was observed in 10 countries of the region compared to the previous week.
  
  Maj. General Abdullah Al Harthi: There will be control and checkpoints between governorates during full lockdown.
  
  WHO Regional Director: There was a slowdown in the spread of the vaccines umbrella at the level of the world and the region, as the number of people who received the vaccine around the world reached 3 billion, and the share of the Middle East region was 100 million doses.
  
  WHO regional director: There is monopoly and competition over the purchase of vaccines and the reservation of more than needed doses from some countries. Therefore, we appeal to the countries of the whole world for fairness and justice in distributing vaccines.
  
  WHO regional director: The decision to completely close the Sultanate during the days of Eid al-Adha protects the lives of citizens and expatriates and relieves pressure on the medical staff.
  
  Minister of Commerce: The economic aspect and its effects on citizens are among the priorities of the Committee.. All decisions aim to reduce damage as much as possible.
  
  Minister of Health: With regard to mixing doses, such as taking the first dose from AstraZeneca and the second from Pfizer, it has been followed in some countries and does not prevent the same principle being followed in the Sultanate.
  
  WHO Regional Director: The World Health Organization seeks to vaccinate 70 percent of the world’s population by the middle of next year 2022.
  
  Dr. Saif Al Abri: There is no change so far regarding the protocols and decisions for those coming to the Sultanate.
  
  Chairman of Muscat Municipality: The slaughterhouses of the municipality during the Eid period will be closed
  
  Minister of Health: The committee stresses that the Eid Al Adha prayers and traditional Eid markets “Al-Habat” are not held, and that all kinds of gatherings are prohibited in all governorates of the Sultanate.
  
  Minister of Health: 90% of the doses in the Sultanate are from Pfizer.
  
  Major General Abdullah Al Harthy: In the second phase, during the three days of Eid, we hope everyone will cooperate in order to overcome it with the least damage, as we stress that the goal is not to restrict people, but that there is a higher goal, which is to limit the spread of this epidemic.
  
  Major General Al-Harthy: We assure everyone that the rule is to combat the epidemic, and the exception is to firmly implement the decisions of the Supreme Committee.
  
  Major General Abdullah Al-Harthy: A center will be opened on July 16, working around the clock, under the supervision of 5 government ministries, and supervising the cases that come to it at the time of closure.
  
  Minister of Commerce: Based on our study, the first three days of Eid can be dangerous as more people are prone to catch the infection.
  
  Minister of Commerce: The Committee took into account reducing the period of complete closure as much as possible in order not to affect small and medium enterprises
  
  Minister of Health: We are studying the measures we will take regarding those who refuse to receive the vaccine from the target groups.
  
  Minister of Health: We are studying the measures we will take regarding those who refuse to receive the vaccine from the target groups.
  
  Minister of Health: Actions will be taken against government employees who refuse to receive the vaccine without a medical reason.
  
  Major General Abdullah bin Ali bin Hamad Al-Harthy: During the closure, exceptions will be made for passage of patients, humanitarian cases and for every activity related to the storage and sale of foodstuff and other basic essential activities
  
  Major General Al-Harthy: With regard to watering crops during this period, as well as farms, livestock and others, there will be flexibility and all these groups will be allowed to practice what is required of them, but according to clear and specific controls.
  
  Major General Al Harthy: Feed vehicles will also be allowed to stop at state entrances to sell feed, provided that the needy for these feeds comes and buys from them while preventing gatherings.
  
  Dr. Saif Al Abri: We aim to immunize 2 million people against Covid-19 with at least a dose by the middle of this month, with up to 55% of the target group.
  
  Dr. Saif Al Abri: We expect to finish vaccinating all target groups with the first dose by mid-August.
  
  Maj. Gen Al Harthy: We will take into account humanitarian cases during the period of complete closure on Eid al-Adha.
  
  Chairman of Muscat Municipality: In the Governorate of Muscat, there are two slaughterhouses to receive citizens’ requests from 7:30am morning until 12pm and in the evening, and from 3pm until 4:30pm during the partial lockdown period.
  
  Major General Abdullah Al-Harthy: There is no change in the decisions to issue visas except for what has been excluded by the Supreme Committee.
  
  Minister of Commerce: Despite the demands of some members of society to extend the closure period, but after following up on the health situation, the shortest possible period was recognized, in which the Committee found the infection rate to be very high.
  
  Dr. Saif Al Abri: The death rate has increased during the current wave of the spread of Covid 19 by 372% compared to the previous wave.
  
  Minister of Health: The Sultanate has taken the initiative to recognize all vaccination certificates registered in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries
  
  Minister of Health: The death rate has decreased significantly in the age group over 60 years for those who have received the vaccine.
  
  Major General Abdullah Al Harthy: An individual can practice activities inside his home during the period of complete closure, and gatherings are prohibited.
  
  Dr. Saif Al Abri: 40,000 people are being vaccinated daily against Covid-19 during the current period… and the number will rise to 80,000 after Eid Al Adha with the arrival of more number of vaccines.
  
  Dr. Saif Al-Abri: The World Health Organization issued a report last week stating that despite the presence of vaccinations even in developed countries, there is great caution against lifting precautionary measures.
  
  Dr. Saif Al-Abri: The vaccine is feasible and prevents infection, but the person who received the two doses can also be infected, but the infection will be minor and prevents the occurrence of critical cases that require hospitalization.
  
  Minister of Health: Due to the spread of the delta mutant in about 98 countries in the world and what we have seen in the epidemiological curve of the Sultanate, the decisions taken by the Supreme Committee or by the technical authorities (the Ministry of Health) always change with the change of the epidemiological map.
  
  Minister of Health: News being circulated of the holding of a habta today in one of the governorates, if true, is a serious and explicit violation of the decisions of the Supreme Committee and a reason for causing the spread of the virus.
  
  Minister of Health: To protect the health sector and the health system in the Governorate of Dhofar, and to protect the health of citizens and residents, the Supreme Committee decided that a person going to the Governorate of Musandam or the Governorate of Dhofar, if he is from within the Sultanate, must have received at least one dose of vaccination. If he is from outside the Sultanate, he must have received two doses, while adhering to other precautionary measures.
  
  Minister of Health: We urge everyone to adhere to preventive and precautionary decisions and measures to preserve lives and the health system
  
  Minister of Health: The communication center in the Ministry of Health, as well as other institutions, are fully prepared to answer the questions raised.
  
  Minister of Commerce: Delivery companies and street vendors are allowed to sell during the closure period, on condition of obtaining permits
  
  Chairman of Muscat Municipality: Yesterday, 1,400 employees working in the Al-Mawaleh market for vegetables and fruits were vaccinated, and today we continue the campaign and until next week all market workers will be vaccinated.