Oman's younger primary children to return to online learning amid Covid surge

Learning will move away from classrooms for four weeks from January 16

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. Getty
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Younger pupils in Oman's primary schools will return to online learning next week as cases of Covid-19 in children rise.

Both cases and hospital admissions have grown due to community spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the Sultanate, the supreme committee in charge of Covid-19 measures said on Wednesday.

“Data from primary healthcare centres indicate the spread of respiratory infections in all governorates, especially in the category of children from 5 to 12 years old, which indicates a wide and rapid spread of respiratory infections in general, including the Covid-19 virus”, the committee said.

Children in first to fourth grades, generally aged between 5 and 10 years old, will begin online learning on January 16.

Oman registered 718 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. Cases of the disease have risen sharply since the end of 2022, driven by the Omicron variant, authorities say.

Eighteen people were admitted to hospital with the disease, bringing the total to 59, and six people were in intensive care on Wednesday.

The Supreme Committee also reiterated its call for people to stick to Covid-19 precautionary measures, and for businesses and other places still allowed to operate to ensure they provide a safe environment and do not exceed 50 per cent capacity.

Updated: January 12, 2022, 4:46 PM