MUSCAT — Oman has decided to suspend direct passenger flights from the United Kingdom and suspend the entry of non-citizens who traveled there in the previous two weeks, the Oman News Agency reported (ONA) on Wednesday. The decision of the UK flight ban was taken during a meeting on Wednesday by the country's supreme committee to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. In a bid to curb the spread of the deadly virus in the Sultanate, the committee decided the following: 1. To impose a ban on all direct flights from the UK, except cargo flights, and prohibiting entry of passengers arriving from the UK or who were in transit there over the past 14 days. The ban takes effect from 12 p.m. on March 19 and continues till further notice. Omani citizens are exempt from the ban. 2. To downsize to 70 percent the number of employees at the workplace in units of the State's Administrative Apparatus and other legal entities with effect March 21, 2021 until April 1, 2021. 3. To Extend the closure of all commercial activities in all governorates of the Sultanate from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. until April 3, 2021. An exemption from this covers fuel filling stations, health establishments, private pharmacies, tire sale and repair outlets based at filling stations, transport, cargo, and unloading services and the operation of factories without the option of receiving clients and customers, home deliveries, the handing over of food orders to customers in their vehicles from restaurants, cafes, mobile cafeterias, and licensed street vendors, as well as offering "guests-only service" at restaurants located within hotel establishments. 4. To activate the role of volunteers in all wilayats of the Sultanate in coordination with the respective Walis. 5. To permit the use of beaches to practice "individual" sports while at the same time maintaining a total ban on gatherings at beaches and elsewhere.
