Muscat: Oman has lifted quarantine restrictions on all fully vaccinated people effective from September 1, giving the green light for airlines to operate normally.
The lifting of the quarantine rule comes 18 months after the COVID-19 pandemic that brought global economies to a standstill.
Authorities decided to lift the quarantine because air traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Muscat international airport has put safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As per the media reports, the airport authorities are ready to ensure the safety and health of all passengers and workers at the airport.
Passengers must undergo RT-PCR testing before or upon arrival and they should be fully vaccinated with one of the COVID-19 vaccines approved in the country.
Saud bin Nasser Al-Hubaishi, vice president of Muscat international airport, said that they are pleased with this blessed day. “We are about to return to our full operations at Muscat International Airport and the rest of the airports of the Sultanate,” he said.
He congratulates all airport staff on their return to work. He added that everyone was waiting for the continuation of the “sincere national role in the reception and farewell of all visitors to Oman,” Arab News reported.
Unvaccinated people can now enter Oman
Residence permit holders can enter Oman even if they have not been vaccinated. However, they must remain in quarantine in Oman for 7 days after their arrival.
They could end the quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 on the eighth day.
Passengers must board the plane with the negative report of the RT-PCR test performed 72 hours before the trip. They will also have to undergo RTPCR tests at the airport in Oman.
The decision to allow unvaccinated passengers into the country has come as a relief to hundreds of people who were stranded in different parts of the world and were unable to travel to Oman.
On August 23, Oman lifted the ban on travelers from India after a gap of four months.
Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a statement those who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to return to the country from September 1.