Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron
Oman on Tuesday reported 15 new cases of the Omicron variant and has introduced emergency travel restrictions for those entering the country effective immediately.
The sultanate has banned entry to passengers from six African countries to stop the spread of Omicron.
"The hospitals in Oman have detected 15 new Omicron cases. To prevent further spread, the Civil Aviation Authority has banned the entry of travellers from six countries, which are South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique effective from Tuesday until further notice," state-run Oman TV reported.
All passengers arriving in Oman must be twice vaccinated and have a PCR test result from within 48 hours, overruling the previous PCR rule of 72 hours, the broadcaster said.
Oman TV also said the third booster rule has been revised after the new Omicron cases.
"Instead of a six-month requirement to get the third booster from the second vaccination, the period has been reduced by half to only three months, after the new Omicron cases reported," it reported.
Oman detected its first Omicron cases last week, with 12 people testing positive for the variant as the sultanate announced a booster vaccination programme for people over the age of 18.
The health authorities have also ordered all indoor public places, including malls, shops, schools and hotels to restrict their business to 50 per cent capacity until further notice. Weddings and funerals have been banned.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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