Saudi Arabia Tightens Anticipation Of COVID-19: Bans Its Citizens From Visiting Indonesia, Vaccines Are Mandatory In Public Spaces

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs of Saudi Arabia has banned its citizens from traveling to Indonesia, related to the spread of cases of COVID-19 infection, in an announcement issued Wednesday, July 21 local time.

An official source at the Ministry of Saudi Arabia said that this step was taken by the Saudi Arabian authorities to ensure the safety of its citizens, along with the spike in cases of COVID-19 infection due to the Delta variant.

"The restrictions will continue until the situation stabilizes", the source said, citing Arab News on Thursday, July 22.

Saudi Arabian citizens currently in Indonesia have been told to exercise caution, stay away from areas with high infection rates, maintain all precautions and return to the Kingdom as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, pilgrims performing the Hajj this year are said to be completing the final stages, under strict health measures. So far, no COVID-19 infections have been reported during this year's Hajj.

Regarding vaccination, the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia continues to provide COVID-19 vaccines during the Eid holiday at vaccination centers, as part of the community immunization campaign.

To date, more than 23.3 million doses have been administered across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with more than 1.4 million elderly citizens or residents having received the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health asked citizens and expatriates in the Kingdom to take the vaccines available at vaccination centers across Saudi Arabia.

As of Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported 1,142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with 10,905 cases still active and 1,374 in critical condition. The latest cases bring the overall number of infections to 513,284.

The Riyadh region reported the highest number of cases with 302, followed by Mecca with 188, the Eastern Province with 176, and the Asir region with 143. In addition, 1,024 patients have recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 494,264. The ministry also reported 12 deaths related to COVID-19. The death toll now stands at 8,115.

Regarding anticipatory measures, Saudi Arabian authorities have so far carried out more than 24 million PCR tests, with more than 86,000 carried out in the last 24 hours. Testing centers and treatment centers set up across the country have treated hundreds of thousands of people since the pandemic.

From August 1, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to enter public spaces in Saudi Arabia, including malls, restaurants, shops, and markets. Visitors to these public places must present proof of vaccination upon entry, according to the Saudi Ministry of Urban and Rural Affairs.

This step was followed by the Ministry of Health by continuing to urge everyone to comply with preventive measures to limit the spread of the virus given the global spread of the Delta variant.