Oman announces travel ban on India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Oman has announced it will suspend travel from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where cases of the coronavirus continue to surge over the past couple of weeks. 

The decision was taken by Oman's supreme committee for coronavirus on Wednesday. As per the committee, the ban will come into effect from April 24.

Those who have passed through these countries in the two weeks before travelling are also barred from entry.

"The ban begins at 6 pm on Saturday, 24 April 2021, and continues till further notice. This is with the exception of arriving passengers who are Omani citizens, diplomats, health workers and their families. The exempted groups will undergo the prescribed entry procedures when they reach the Sultanate's land," read the press release issued by the committee.

Among the three countries, India has reported the most number of coronavirus infections over the past few months or so, as the third wave of the virus intensifies across the country.

The country reported more than 2,000 deaths from COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, the highest single-day tally for the country so far, health ministry data showed on Wednesday. The total deaths have amounted to 182,553 in India, ever since the pandemic hit the country.

India's overall case tally is now at 15.6 million, second only to the United States, which has over 31 million infections.

The Indian authorities scrambled to shore up supplies of medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital, Delhi, on Wednesday as a fast-spreading second wave of coronavirus stretched medical infrastructure to breaking point, officials and doctors said.

Delhi's government issued a call for help on social media saying major government hospitals only had enough oxygen to last another eight to 24 hours while some private ones had enough for just four or five hours.