Saudi Gazette report

MUSCAT — As frontline health workers in Oman are putting their lives at risk in order to continue to provide life-sustaining services to citizens as well as residents, more than 600 of them have contracted coronavirus infection in the process, local media reported on Monday, citing a senior official at the country’s Ministry of Health.

"The number could rise if the rate of infection in Oman continues to grow, and will have an impact on the medical services provided in the Sultanate," the undersecretary at the ministry was quoted as saying in a report carried by Times of Oman.

“The total number of infections among medical staff has exceeded 600, and most of them have been infected because of community transmission,” the health official said.

“These numbers are expected to grow as the infection increases in society and this will mostly impact medical services in the country,” he added.

Oman has so far reported 68,400 coronavirus cases and 45,510 recoveries while 326 people have lost their lives.

The health authorities have conducted as many as 275,000 coronavirus tests in the country so far. Urging people showing symptoms of COVID-19 to get themselves tested at the earliest, the official said: “Anyone having symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or breathing problems must isolate themselves and continue until the COVID-19 test results confirm that they are not infected.”

He added that approximately four to six thousand coronavirus tests are being conducted across the Sultanate every day.