Pandemic under control in Saudi Arabia

Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly also reassured the public that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines approved in the Kingdom are “safe and reliable.”

The ministry has stressed the vaccine’s effectiveness as it has been through a series of tests supervised by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and passed the clinical trial phase. He said that early tests show signs of an immune response and developed antibodies in participants.

“Data reports from around the world about the vaccines are showing good signs,” Al-Aly said at a press conference.

“Throughout the year, a number of research papers and attempts to find vaccines that were safe were in the works and only a very few showed a high efficacy rate. The Kingdom has approved one of them.

“We reiterate the call for all to get the vaccine, including those who have recovered,” said the spokesman. “There are no studies that can confirm or deny a second infection after some time has passed from their initial diagnosis,” he said.

He said that no health examinations were needed before taking the vaccine and individuals who register for the vaccine will go through the usual questions about their health.

Dr. Adel Al-Harf, vice president of the SFDA, said that those aged 16 and above are the targeted group that are advised to take the vaccine, and that vaccines will be administered in two doses with an interval of 20 days between each dose to achieve the maximum benefit.

According to Al-Harf, the Pfizer vaccine will only be available at government hospitals initially, and they will work with the relevant authorities to provide it to private hospitals in due time.

Commenting on the declining number of infections in the Kingdom, Al-Aly said: “This achievement is due to the community’s adherence to the measures put in place. It would not have been possible without coordination between the community and relevant authorities in the face of this pandemic to ensure everyone’s health and safety.”

On Sunday, 139 new cases were recorded — the last time the Kingdom recorded less than 150 new cases was on March 30 this year. Today’s numbers brought the total number of cases in Saudi Arabia to 359,888 in total. Also, 202 new recoveries were reported on Sunday, raising the total number of recoveries to 350,549 in total. The Kingdom’s recovery rate is at 97.4 percent.

Another positive indicator is the number of critical cases, which has fallen below the 500 case mark. There are currently 3,291 active cases, 499 of which are in critical care. Twelve new fatalities were reported, raising the infection death toll to 6,048.