The government has officially announced a change of Covid 19 rules in Saudi Arabia, as of Thursday December 30, citizens are required to wear masks both indoors and outdoors as concerns over the Omicron variant grow.
The new rules come into effect on Thursday December 30, and will also see to a return of social distancing requirements in cafés, restaurants and shopping malls. This masking news comes after the return of the “Curfew Permits” button on the Tawakkalna app, which was previously used during lockdowns and curfew times to go outside after hours.
Before this, Saudi Arabia also announced that as of February 1, 2022, adults aged 18 years old and above will be required to have a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which enables them to keep their fully vaccinated status on the Tawakkalna application.
Failure to get the booster shot within eight months after you’ve received the second will result in your immune status on Tawakkalna being taken away. If you are exempt from taking the COVID-19 vaccine, you will not be required to take the booster shot.
The mandatory mask protocol in Saudi comes after nearly three months of no masks in outdoor spaces for fully vaccinated individuals. Previously, a statement published by the Ministry of Interior stated that masks will no longer be mandatory in outdoor settings, and the new rules came into effect on October 17. However, this ruling was only approved for people that had been double jabbed.
We’re all in this together. Stay safe and stay masked, Riyadh.
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