Oman is once again imposing a night-time curfew in response a renewed rise in Covid-19 cases, dealing yet another blow to prospects for a recovery in transport fuel demand in the sultanate.
As of today, all movement of people and vehicles will be prohibited between 20:00 and 04:00 daily. All public places and commercial activities will also be required to close during these hours, with the exception of home delivery services. The country's Supreme Committee tasked with managing the pandemic said these restrictions will last "until further notice".
The sudden tightening of the measures comes as the country is facing a surge in Covid-19 cases. The average number of new daily cases rose to 1,500 in June so far, doubling from 773 average cases in May. There are now more than 26,000 active virus carriers in Oman, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
A previous suspension of commercial activities in Oman was imposed on 4 March. But the restrictions were eased in the beginning of June, allowing commercial establishments to once again resume operating at 50pc capacity. Oman last imposed a night-time curfew between 8 and 15 May.
These restrictions come in addition to ongoing restrictions on entry to individuals from 15 countries. Thus far, the authorities have not announced an end date for this ban.
The various iterations of restrictions imposed by the government have pressured transport fuel demand in the sultanate over the past months. Oman's domestic gasoline sales in April fell by 16pc from the previous month to 49,000 b/d, according to the latest data from Oman's National Centre for Statistics and Information. Gasoil demand fell by 1pc to 37,000 b/d over the same period, while jet fuel demand fell to a 6-month low of 3,150 b/d in April.
