Oman orders two weeks of night curfew to contain coronavirus

Sultanate has reported more than 700 infections a day this month as Covid-19 cases passed 100,000

A traditional boat is moored next to a modern ship in the port of Mutrah in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A view of the Al-Alam palace in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A view of the Mutrah castle in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A partial view of the seaside corniche in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A view of the area of Haramil in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A vendor wearing a face mask against the coronavirus sits in front of his shop at the Mutrah Souq in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A vendor wearing a face mask against the coronavirus sells dates at the Mutrah Souq in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A vendor wearing a face mask against the coronavirus sells fresh fish at the Mutrah Souq in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A vendor wearing a face mask against the coronavirus sells fresh fish at the Mutrah Souq in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A vendor wearing a face mask against the coronavirus sells fresh fish at the Mutrah Souq (Mutah market) in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

A vendor wearing a face mask against the coronavirus carries fresh fish to be sold at the Mutrah Souq in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP

Oman’s supreme committee responsible for Covid-19 has ordered a two-week night curfew to curb a rise in infections.

The nationwide curfew will run from 8pm to 5am and be in place from October 11 to October 24.

“In the light of the current situation regarding the rise of infections in the country, it has been decided to impose the curfew to protect members of the public and limit the spread of the virus. We ask people to adhere to the new rule and business owners violating it will be named and shamed in the media,” a statement from the supreme committee said on Friday.

All beaches in Oman will be closed during the two-week period.

So far this month, an average of 720 people have been infected a day, according to the official statistics. The total number of cases in the country has passed 100,000 and more than 1,000 have died.

Business owners, especially retailers, say the new curfew will hit their trades very hard at a time when things had started to look up.

“Most shoppers do their shopping after seven in the evening. That means the curfew starts at the most profitable time. We were beginning to recover from the previous lockdowns and now we are being hit by another one,” said Sami Al Khraifi, the owner of a supermarket in Muscat.

Ordinary people called the new curfew “depressing” and completely unjustified.

“People will gather before 8pm. They will not wait until the curfew time starts. It will not work and there is no justification for it. It is also very depressing to stay indoors after a hard day at work,” said Arkam Al Balushi, 28, a civil servant.

Omani authorities have blamed the rise in infections on people failing to take health precautions seriously.

_______________

Coronavirus around the world

A member of a healthcare team works at a drive-through COVID-19 testing center at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne, Australia. EPA

People walk past the Cobble Hill Cinemas movie theater in New York City. With theaters closed in New York and Los Angeles and would-be movie goers across the country choosing to stay in, US cinemas are sending out a desperate SOS -- so far unanswered by Congress and studios. AFP

A man wears face mask as he walks past the Klang river mural in Klang, Malaysia. Klang district in state of Selangor is within the red zone area under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) after increasing numbers of cases of COVID-19 disease. EPA

Health workers walk through the Rocinha slum to test people for COVID-19 as part of a rapid test campaign by the civilian organization "Bora Testar," or "Let's Test" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Financed by crowdfunding and donations, the organization says it aims to test up to 300 people in the slum. AP Photo

An elderly woman wearing a face shield to curb the spread of the new coronavirus waits her turn in line to be given coupons provided by the municipality of Iztapalapa to buy groceries in Iztapalapa, Mexico City. The municipal government of Iztapalapa is providing coupons to help poor families cope with the hardship created by the new coronavirus pandemic economic slowdown. AP Photo

American poet Louise Gluck reacts after winning the 2020 Nobel Prize for Literature, at her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. REUTERS

French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire (R) and French Health Minister Olivier Veran, wearing protective masks, look on during a press conference about the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus in France, at the Health Ministry in Paris. AFP

A health worker tests a migrant domestic worker from Africa for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a hotel, before she travels back to her country, in Beirut suburbs, Lebanon. REUTERS

Miyana Moffett watches a ride at the Mississippi State Fair as it opens with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. REUTERS

A visitor is reflected in glass as he takes a picture of a replica of the head of Michelangelo's sculpture "David" at the National Museum of Fine Arts Museum on its opening day after closing for over half a year due to the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Santiago, Chile. AP Photo

People arrive at Beijing Railway Station after an eight-day National Day holiday following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Beijing, China. REUTERS

People walk past a poster to raise awareness about wearing a face mask, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, in Mexico City, Mexico. The poster reads: "For courage, wear it" REUTERS

A homeless person naps on a street bench reading "over 6,200 have died in LA from Covid-19", in Los Angeles, California. AFP