Oman bans entries from Nigeria, others over coronavirus fears

Middle East country Oman has banned international entries from Nigeria and nine other countries to curb the further spread of coronavirus.

Oman’s coronavirus committee on Tuesday said people from Sudan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia will not be allowed into the country from Thursday, February 25.

The committee also announced that persons who passed through or had stopovers in the 10 listed countries will be denied entry to the Arabian country for a period of fifteen days.

The government said the international travel ban is “to protect the members of society and the gains of the efforts of the past period at all levels, the committee decided to suspend entry to the Sultanate for those coming from ten countries.

“The Supreme Committee urges citizens and residents to avoid travel during the coming period unless absolutely necessary.”

Omani citizens, diplomats, health workers, and their families, are exempted and will not be subject to the ban when entering the country, according to the committee chaired by Hammoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Oman’s interior minister.

Sultanate of Oman known as Oman is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia and the oldest independent state in the Arab world.