https://arab.news/zppwf
- Ministry of Interior records 1,880 violations against precautionary measures in past week
- Municipalities close several businesses and issue fines to a number of others for breaching coronavirus protocols
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia confirmed one new COVID-19 related death on Sunday, raising the total number of fatalities to 8,871.
The Ministry of Health confirmed 389 new cases reported in the Kingdom in the previous 24 hours, meaning 552,795 people have now contracted the disease. Of the total number of cases, 33 remain in critical condition.
According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 122, followed by Jeddah with 81, Makkah with 76, Madinah confirmed 22, and Dammam recorded 14.
The health ministry also announced that 124 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 540,868.
Over 49.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the Kingdom’s immunization campaign started. More than 23.06 million people have been fully vaccinated.
The Ministry of Interior reported 1,880 violations in the past week, with the highest number of breaches recorded in Madinah with 609, followed by Riyadh with 568, Makkah with 392, and Hail with 118. Jazan region 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 8,500 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities during the last week. Authorities recorded 469 violations and closed four businesses for not adhering to the precautionary measures.
Authorities from the Northern Borders Province, represented by Rafha Municipality, recorded 21 violations last week during more than 280 monitoring rounds.
Al-Baha Municipality carried out 3,100 tours and field teams issued fines to 47 commercial outlets and closed 12 others for breaching protocols.
Dr. Ali Al-Sawat, the mayor of Al-Baha, said that teams are continuing to intensify their field tours to monitor all facilities around the clock, adding that violating facilities will not be tolerated and maximum penalties will be applied, from issuing fines and penalties to closing businesses.
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 279 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 5.41 million.