MAKKAH: The categories of people exempt from workplace attendance in the Kingdom’s public, private and non-profit sectors have been announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
They are people over the age of 60; those suffering from chronic lung disease or severe asthma and have been hospitalized at least once in the past six months; those with chronic heart disease (heart failure or coronary artery disease who have had at least one heart attack during the past year); those who have inherited immunodeficiency and anemia (thalassemia and sickle cell anemia); those with acquired immunodeficiency; people with organ transplants; people who use immunosuppressive or cancer treatment drugs; the severely obese with a body mass index of above 40; people suffering from chronic medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes; people who have been hospitalized at least once in the past six months due to high blood pressure, and people with chronic kidney diseases.
The list also includes people with special needs who are unable to apply social distancing measures due to motor impairment, or cannot understand or apply COVID-19 preventive measures due to learning disabilities.
But the ministry said these groups of people could go to work if they had been fully vaccinated and their inoculation status was on the Tawakkalna app.
The Ministry of Health said second doses of COVID-19 vaccines were only available for five categories at the moment: Patients on kidney dialysis, active cancer, organ transplants, the obese, and those over 60.
FASTFACTS
• Saudi Arabia reported 1,201 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
• The death toll has risen to 7,424 following 16 more virus-related fatalities.
Saudi Arabia on Friday reported 16 more COVID-19-related deaths, taking the toll to 7,424.
There were 1,201 new cases, bringing the country’s total number of infections to 455,418.
There are 9,788 active cases and 1,528 of these patients are in a critical condition.
Of the newly recorded cases, 370 were in Makkah, 294 were in Riyadh, 167 were in the Eastern Province, and 92 were in Madinah.
The ministry said 1,322 patients had recovered from coronavirus, increasing this total to 438,206.
Saudi Arabia has conducted more than 19.59 million PCR tests, with 96,393 carried out in the past 24 hours.
Testing hubs and treatment centers have dealt with hundreds of thousands of people since the pandemic outbreak.
Taakad centers provide COVID-19 testing for those who show no or only mild symptoms or believe they have come into contact with an infected individual.
Tetamman clinics offer treatment and advice to those with virus symptoms such as fever, loss of taste and smell, and breathing difficulties.
Appointments for both services can be made via the ministry’s Sehhaty app.
Saudi Arabia has so far vaccinated 14,699,678 people.
