Azlan Othman
It is difficult to estimate the arrival of commuters via land border and this is of concern as border hoppers can reach 8,000 or more individuals daily as COVID-19 can also infect the public and those manning the border such as immigration and Customs personnel.
“As for air travel, we can estimate the number of passengers arriving in the Sultanate and there is an isolation centre at the airport for arriving passengers testing positive for COVID-19,” Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said at a press conference yesterday.
Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew added, “Border hoppers also include children whose vaccination rate for the second dose account for nearly 40 per cent and 80 per cent for the first dose.
“Although we have loosened restrictions due to the high rate of vaccination among adults, the second dose vaccination rate for children is still inadequate. We need to attain a high rate of vaccination among children.”
On the Early Endemic Phase under the National COVID-19 Recovery Framework set to end on May 31, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said face masks should still be worn in public buildings. The public is encouraged to wear face masks, especially in crowded places.
“Starting June 1, we are loosening restrictions. The public still needs to adhere to the standard operating procedures such as wearing face masks. We must make our own judgement, for instance, if we are with family members, it would not be necessary to wear face masks.”
