Oman has announced the start of the academic year for all schools in the Sultanate on Nov. 1 and the end of a partial curfew at 5 am on Oct. 24 (Saturday), Bahrain News Agency reported on Wednesday. The decisions were taken during a meeting of the country's supreme committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from the coronavirus pandemic headed by Interior Minister Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al-Busaidi. Oman is currently on a curfew that doesn't allow any movement, unless for emergency purposes and for exempted categories, from 8 p.m. till 5 a.m., since Oct. 11. The supreme committee has, however, added that schools will adopt a curriculum that involves blended learning. The committee also said that it will continue to monitor the situation through the Ministry of Education and other departments concerned to ensure a sustained educational experience, along with reports on epidemiological data from different governorates of the Sultanate. The committee expressed concern over the behavior of some individuals who participate in gatherings and cause the spread of the virus. It urged all individuals and establishments to exercise maximum caution and implement precautionary measures aimed to curb the rise in infections and deaths. It has opened the doors to volunteering in various sectors, relevant to the current pandemic situation, the modalities of which will be announced soon. The committee urged citizens and residents to tackle the pandemic responsibly and requested everyone to report violations of any kind that they might come across. — SG
