Oman’s coronavirus-related ICU patients double in 2 weeks

An empty neighborhood is pictured in the Omani capital Muscat amid a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 on July 27, 2020. (File/AFP)

• Oman has also modified some of its quarantine rules

DUBAI: The number of patients in intensive care units, with cases related to the highly transmissible coronavirus disease, doubled during the past two weeks, daily Times of Oman reported.
“We had 20 patients in ICU and today it touched 41 cases. This is a significant and disturbing increase,” Minister of Health Ahmed Al-Saeedi said, adding that the spread of the coronavirus was alarming
“The closure of North Sharqiyah Governorate was due to a 100 percent increase in intensive care cases in Ibra Hospital,” the minister said.
As for the vaccination drive in the Sultanate, Al-Saeedi said the delay in second dose of Pfizer was out of their hands.
“Whoever took the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine will have the second dose available. The delay was outside the control of the Sultanate and this delay was at the global level,” he added.
Meanwhile, Oman has modified some of its quarantine rules, such that children under the age of 15 years and individuals above the age of 60 years do not have to present confirmed hotel reservation for isolation before entering the country.
Other groups included in this exemption are diplomatic missions and airline crew, the report added.
Oman has confirmed 137,929 total cases, with 129,543 recovered patients and 1,544 deaths as on Tuesday.