Oman has ordered 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, amid rising concern as infections continue to increase, the health minister said.
"The situation is worrying and painful because since mid-January the [infection] numbers have started to escalate. Intensive care units are under pressure again," Health Minister Dr Ahmed Al Saeedi said on Thursday.
The minister said beaches and parks would remain closed indefinitely.
“People still don’t grasp the concept of Covid-19 and they don’t see what is going around the world," Dr Al Saeedi said.
"Some of them even refuse to get a vaccination, for reasons we don't understand, despite our assurances that vaccination is safe and good for them."
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A billboard urges the public to sign up for the voluntary vaccine outside Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Manama. The tiny island nation has put technology at the heart of its response, using WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and chatbots to deliver test results and information. Mazen Mahdi / AFP -
Saudis are greeted by a health worker as they enter a new coronavirus vaccination centre at the Jeddah old airport, Saudi Arabia. AP Photo -
The Seha Vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal can immunise up to 3,000 people per day. Victor Besa / The National -
A woman attends her appointment for a second dose of a coronavirus vaccine at Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIECC), in Manama, Bahrain December 24, 2020. Reuters -
Bahrain's Mobile Vaccination Unit. Courtesy: Bahrain News Agency -
A man is inoculated at Seha Vaccination Centre in the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal area. Victor Besa / The National -
A man receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the Omani capital, Muscat. AFP -
Health workers greet people after they receive their vaccine at a new coronavirus vaccination centre, at the Jeddah old airport in Saudi Arabia. Amr Nabil / AP -
A nurse administers a dose of vaccine against the covid-19 diseases at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the capital of Saudi Arabia. Fayez Nureldine / AFP -
Kuwaitis arrive to get the Covid-19 vaccine at Al Masayel new vaccination centre in Kuwait City. Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP -
Medical staff stand ready at the Kuwait vaccination centre for Covid -19 at the International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City. Sports stadiums, cathedrals and theme parks the world over have been rapidly repurposed as temporary vaccination centres in a global drive to administer the life-saving shots. AFP -
A woman pushes another in a wheelchair as they queue to register before receiving a dose of Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at the make-shift vaccination centre erected at the Kuwait International Fairground, in the Mishref suburb south of Kuwait City. Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP
The Ministry of Health reported 288 cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, bringing the total in the sultanate to 140,588.
Four people died from the virus on Thursday, raising the death toll to 1,562.
The number of patients being treated in hospital rose by 29 to 192 over the previous 24 hours, including 68 in intensive care units.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered to people below the age of 66 and school teachers, according to the health ministry.
The first and second consignments of vaccines received by Oman were only available to over-65s, people with underlying medical issues and medical staff.
The sultanate began its inoculation campaign with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines on December 7, reaching 30,000 people.
The second phase of vaccinations kicked off this month with 100,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, made under licence by the Serum Institute of India.
Oman on Thursday imposed a 15-day ban on entry for travellers from 10 countries, in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus – in particular certain mutated strains.
The countries on the list are: Sudan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia.
Oman introduced a seven-day mandatory hotel quarantine for all arrivals on February 15.
