DUBAI- Oman will end a nightly curfew on Saturday designed to curb the spread of COVID-19, but shops and commercial activities will be banned from 8pm until 4am, the Supreme Committee for Combating Coronavirus said.

The Gulf state had banned the movement of people and vehicles between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. on May 8 and also banned commercial activity during the day, which will be permitted.

New daily cases of the virus have risen in Oman since the start of the year, but in recent weeks have begun to fall.

(Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Giles Elgood) ((lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com;))