Workers in Saudi Arabia will need COVID-19 vaccine to return to workplace, HR ministry says

All workers attending a workplace in Saudi Arabia will be required to have received a COVID-19 vaccination, it was announced on Friday. (SPA/File Photo)
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  • Urged employers to begin preparations to ensure all employees have received a vaccination

RIYADH: All workers attending a workplace in Saudi Arabia will be required to have received a COVID-19 vaccination, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said on Friday.

“Receiving a coronavirus vaccine will be a mandatory condition for male and female workers to attend workplaces in all sectors (public, private, non-profit),” the ministry said on Twitter.

It also urged employers to begin preparations to ensure all employees have received a vaccination, saying: “The ministry will soon clarify the mechanisms of the decision and its implementation date.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia recorded 13 new COVID-19 related deaths on Friday, which raised the total number of fatalities in the Kingdom to 7,045.

The Ministry of Health confirmed 1,039 new cases of the disease in the country over the past 24 hours, meaning 424,445 people have now contracted the disease since the pandemic began. 

Of the total number of cases, 9,750 remain active and 1,311 in critical condition, a decrease from the day before.

According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 386, followed by Makkah with 274 and the Eastern Province with 140, while Asir recorded 46 and Madinah confirmed 45 cases.

The ministry also announced that 1,061 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 407,650.