Saudi COVID vaccine campaign expanding as cases continue to rise

Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly said that this is a temporary measure until further studies have been completed.

He said the vaccine operation is expanding, with 350 vaccination centers across the Kingdom, in addition to inoculations from mobile teams.

Al-Abd Al-Aly said the number of cases is still going through a phase of fluctuation and is being watched with caution after an increase in the number of daily infections during the first weeks of the year.

He said he hoped the preventive measures taken will lead to a decrease in the number of cases and help lead to a return to normal life.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia recorded five new COVID-19 related deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to 6,505.

The Ministry of Health confirmed 302 new confirmed cases reported in the Kingdom in the previous 24 hours, meaning 378,002 people have now contracted the disease.

Of the total number of cases, 2,571 remain active and 486 in critical condition.

According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 136, followed by the Eastern Province with 78, Makkah with 37, Al-Jouf recorded eight and Qassim confirmed six cases.

The ministry also announced that 286 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 368,926.

The ministry renewed its call on the public to adhere to the measures and abide by instructions.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected over 114 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 2.54 million.