Oman now has a curfew – all stores/ restaurants closed and everyone inside from 7pm until 6am which is perfect timing because it is roughly sundown to sunrise. You don’t have look at your watch – just look for the sun. If you see the sun, it’s ok to be outside. If you don’t see the sun, stay in! 🙂

I am very interested in how the curfew might be changing planning for/ cooking dinner, which is usually eaten after 8pm, sometimes as late at midnight or 1am. With the curfew, one can’t order delivery or run to the store for anything. Some restaurants which previously closed mid-day, are now open straight until closing at 6pm (to do cleaning and give staff time to get home). This means no last-minute decisions or going for a schwarma-run at 2am!

When things quiet down, I would like to ask informants how the curfew changed eating habits. A few restaurants are advertising ‘buy at 5pm and reheat later’ – but reheating/ eating ‘old’ food is not often done here.

Restaurant delivery was common, so when the virus hit and restaurants were not allowed to have inside service, the loss of dine-in/ rise of delivery-only did not create a large change in eating patterns. Families could order delivery and then sit together at home, on a beach or in the flat open area to the north of Salalah. But to not have delivery or the chance to buy food after 7pm is a big change and I wonder how families are adjusting to it.

empty roads!

When the virus is beaten, I hope the graphic designers working with the Omani government get medals of appreciation! The government has, since day 1, been clear and unified about the risks of disease and has put out easy-to-understand public safety messages.

my favorite: