Oman extends Muscat lockdown until 29 May

Oman will extend for three weeks the lockdown in place in Muscat governorate, as the number of Covid-19 cases in the country and that region in particular continues to rise.

The extension will probably weigh on consumption of transport fuels in the country.

Oman's Supreme Committee, chaired by interior minister Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al-Busaidi, said that the lockdown will continue until 10:00 Gulf Standard Time (GST) on 29 May. People entering or leaving the capital will be required to pass security checkpoints. It said everyone is required to "stick to measures of prevention from coronavirus disease, notably precautions of social distancing and avoidance of assembling or any gatherings."

This is the second time that the authorities in Oman have extended the Muscat lockdown since it was introduced on 10 April for two weeks. The first extension was announced on 21 April and was set to last until 10:00 Gulf Standard Time (GST) on 8 May.

Oman today reported 168 new confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 2,903. The death toll from the outbreak remains at 13.

By Ieva Paldaviciute