Saudi Gazette report

MUSCAT — The recent wave of coronavirus infection, the worst since the outbreak of the pandemic, has overwhelmed the health sector in Oman, according to the country’s Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Saeedi.

Despite the enormity of the challenge at hand, the health sector has been making extensive efforts for the last 18 months in addressing it, the minister added.

Dr. Ahmed, who is also a member of the Sultanate’s top committee to deal with the pandemic, valued the unlimited support of Oman’s Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik to the health sector and his directives to the COVID-19 committee.

The minister made the remarks on Thursday during a press conference of the COVID-19 committee held at the premises of the Ministry of Education, the Oman News Agency reported.

The minister hoped that the Sultanate will receive about 3.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of September.

“Encouraging people to follow the procedures that protect them from the virus is our Islamic, national and professional duty,” said Dr. Ahmed in response to criticism directed at the committee. He added that the committee will address the concerns of some of those who refuse to take the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the health ministry on Thursday recorded 1,886 new COVID-19 cases and 32 new virus-related deaths, bringing the total number of coronavirus in the Sultanate to 256,542 and fatalities to 2,848.

According to the ministry, 1,733 more patients recovered over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 224,077.