Oman now requires two Covid-19 shots for all adult visitors

They must have a negative PCR test, issued within 72 hours

The authorities also cancelled an entry ban from seven African countries. Alamy

Foreign travellers aged 18 or older are required to have received at least two Covid-19 vaccine doses to enter Oman, the state news agency reported on Sunday.

The emergency travel restrictions were placed earlier this month to stop the spread of Omicron as cases have increased rapidly worldwide in recent weeks.

Oman's Covid-19 Supreme Committee said "vaccination remains as a condition to enter public and private establishments," said a statement by state news agency.

The committee urged the public to follow all precautionary measures and "people who suffer from pulmonary disease shall be prohibited from entering any workplace."

Authorities also cancelled an entry ban from seven African countries and said individuals must have a negative PCR test on arrival.

The committee “decided to cancel the decision to ban entry of arrivals from countries listed before, namely South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique,” said the statement.

The committee also said that “only those who show a negative PCR test issued within a maximum of 72 hours” are allowed to enter Oman.

The country detected its first Omicron cases in early December, with 12 people testing positive for the variant as the sultanate announced a booster vaccination programme for people over the age of 18.

Oman's total number of cases has reached 305,105, while the number of deaths has reached 4,114 since the outbreak of the pandemic is early 2020.

The country's Ministry of Health has ordered all indoor public places, including malls, shops, schools, hotels and mosques, to return to 50 per cent capacity until further notice.

The Omicron variant has been reported in dozens of nations and the number of patients needing hospital care is likely to rise as it spreads, according to the World Health Organisation, with Africa accounting for over 46 per cent of all cases globally.

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