RIYADH: Saudi Arabia confirmed two new COVID-19 related deaths on Sunday, raising the total number of fatalities to 8,844.
The Ministry of Health confirmed 35 new cases reported in the Kingdom in the previous 24 hours, meaning 549,912 people have now contracted the disease. Of the total number of cases, 39 remain in critical condition.
According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 14, followed by Jeddah with nine, while 12 other regions recorded one case each.
The health ministry also announced that 45 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 539,056.
Over 47.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the Kingdom’s immunization campaign started. More than 22.6 million people have been fully vaccinated.
The Ministry of Interior reported 1,134 violations in the past week, with the highest number of breaches recorded in Makkah with 346, followed by Madinah with 298, Riyadh with 275, and Hail with 82. The Northern Borders Province recorded the lowest number of violations with one.
The ministry called on citizens and residents to abide by the preventive protocols and the instructions issued by authorities.
Saudi municipalities have also ramped up efforts to monitor compliance with health and safety measures.
The municipality of Eastern Province carried out 8,463 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities during the last week. Authorities recorded 499 violations and closed eight businesses for not adhering to the precautionary measures.
Al-Baha Municipality carried out 3,994 tours in the past week and field teams issued fines to 83 commercial outlets and closed 16 others for breaching protocols.
Authorities from the Northern Borders Province, represented by Rafha Municipality, recorded 17 violations and closed two businesses last week.
Officials have also called on the public to report any suspected health breaches by phoning the 940 call center number or contacting authorities through the Balady app.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected over 265 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 5.26 million.
