• Saudi health authorities have so far registered more than 751,290 COVID-19 infections and 9,050 deaths since the pandemic broke out in the country
• More than 735,660 of these cases were all confirmed recovered, thanks to the government’s vaccination campaign

Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH: With no deaths reported, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday registered 116 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 298 recoveries, according to the Health Ministry’s latest statistics on the illness.

Saudi health authorities have so far registered more than 751,290 COVID-19 infections and 9,050 deaths since the pandemic broke out in the country in March 2020, after a citizen arrived from Iran through Bahrain.

More than 735,660 of these cases were all confirmed recovered, thanks to the government’s vaccination campaign, which has administered more than 63.2 million vaccine doses through 587 centers across the Kingdom, providing the free service to citizens and residents alike.

The health ministry announced that 6,547 COVID-19 cases were still active, adding that 13,605 PCR tests were made, bringing the total number of tests to 41,605,651.

Under the slogan “It’s our turn,” the Health Ministry continued calling on parents to register their children between 5 and 11 for the vaccine to ensure their safety and protect them from variants and any other complications.

Last December, Saudi health authorities began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 5 and 11. This was after the Saudi Food and Drug Authority approved the Pfizer vaccine for this age group a month before the manufacturer satisfied the regulatory requirements by providing data showing it was safe for children.

Saudi Arabia lifted preventive measures related to combating the COVID-19 pandemic last month.

An official source at the Ministry of Interior said measures including social distancing and wearing masks outdoors are no longer mandatory in the Kingdom.

Quoted by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry also said that social distancing in the Two Holy Mosques and all other mosques in the Kingdom would end but that worshipers would still have to wear masks.

With the number of cases decreasing, Saudi Arabia has announced it would no longer require travelers to undergo mandatory COVID-19 quarantine upon arrival in the Kingdom. Passengers will also no longer need to provide a PCR test upon their arrival.