MUSCAT — As the government is trying to control the spread of coronavirus, the infection count has spiked in recent days raising an alarm in the sultanate.

According to the Ministry of Health, the number of COVID-19 cases is shooting up just because of the unacceptable behavior of some people who are not following preventive measures.

The ministry has blamed ‘secret social’ gatherings for the sharp increase in cases.

The total number of positive cases in the Sultanate now climbed to 58,179 with 2,164 new infections announced on Monday.

Among those, 592 new cases were of expats and 1,572 of Omanis.

The total recovered cases in the country are 37,257 while 259 people have died, the ministry said.

“People need to be responsible if we need to get the infected numbers down. It is just common sense to follow guidelines to protect ourselves”, said Dr. Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Saeedi, minister of health.

While ruling out the possibility that reopening of commercial establishments led to the spike in infections, the minister said that people are still meeting in homes to celebrate weddings or organize birthday parties.

“We must always be disciplined to ensure that we remain safe. For this, we must wear masks, must not go out if not necessary and practice social distancing”, the minister urged.

Echoing the same tone, Mohammed Bin Saif Al-Hosni, undersecretary for health affairs, said that there have been serious lapses in the behavior of some people that led to the escalation in COVID-19 cases.

According to him, unacceptable behaviors led to the surge in COVID-19 cases, especially in North and South Al Batinah governorates.

The cases have doubled in recent weeks due to many reasons including lack of commitment, recklessness and the continuous holding of events, he said. — Agencies