COVID surge compels Oman to bring back strict lockdown
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Dubai: The sultanate of Oman has lurched back into a strict nightly lockdown as it struggles to curb a major surge in severe coronavirus cases that has overwhelmed hospitals.
Mere weeks after lifting most restrictions amid its vaccination campaign, the country on Saturday announced a wide-ranging movement ban and the shutdown of all public places and non-essential businesses from 8 pm to 4. am.
Daily coronavirus infections have more than tripled in the last month in the Gulf Arab state. Doctors struggling to handle the influx of new patients have reported bed and staff shortages at major hospitals.
Officials this week detected several cases of what's known as black fungus in COVID-19 patients, a potentially fatal infection that also has spread quickly among virus patients in India.
Oman has recorded more than 242,700 infections and 2,600 deaths. Its inoculation campaign has lagged compared to Gulf neighbours as the government struggles to overcome vaccine skepticism.