RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Sunday confirmed 5,477 new COVID-19 infections in the previous 24 hours, meaning 615,430 people have now contracted the disease.
According to the Ministry of Health, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 1,472, followed by Jeddah with 985, Makkah with 425, Madinah confirmed 359, and Al-Hofuf recorded 189.
Of the total number of cases, 336 remain in critical condition.
The ministry confirmed one new coronavirus related death, raising the total number of fatalities to 8,906 since the pandemic began.
The health ministry also announced that 3,405 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 564,947.
Over 53.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the Kingdom’s immunization campaign started. More than 23.4 million people have been fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it has started giving the vaccine to all children aged 5 to 11, after previously only giving it to those considered in the high-risk category in that age group.
The Ministry of Interior reported 32,532 violations in the past week, with the highest number of breaches recorded in Riyadh with 9,722, followed by Madinah with 5,224, the Eastern Province with 3,719, and Makkah with 3,575. Najran region recorded the lowest number of violations with 541.
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 Eastern Province Municipality carried out 8,368 tours during the past week and field teams issued fines to 499 commercial outlets and closed eight others for breaching protocols.
Jeddah municipality carried out 5,996 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities in two days, and authorities identified 51 violations and closed 32 businesses.
Authorities in Al-Baha closed 11 commercial establishments and recorded 40 violations during 2,040 inspection tours.
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 327 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 5.55 million.
