Saudi Arabia announces Covid-19 booster shots for over-18s

The kingdom has also announced new guidelines for schools

A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. AP Photo
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Saudi Arabia will start inoculating people aged 18 and above with Covid-19 vaccine boosters, it announced on Wednesday.

Last August, the Interior Ministry made two doses of the approved vaccine mandatory for people to enter all public places in the kingdom.

All travellers are required to have both doses of the vaccine to travel on domestic and international flights.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has delayed opening schools for those under the age of 12 until further notice.

“The in-person classes for students of elementary schools and kindergartens, scheduled to begin on October 31, have been postponed until the completion of scientific studies related to the epidemiological risks of this category so as to ensure their safety as well as the safety of their families,” said a ministry spokesman on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia has lifted the need to wear face masks and observe social distancing in outdoor spaces as cases have been in a decline in recent months.

The Ministry of Health announced 47 new Covid-19 cases and 58 recoveries in the kingdom on Wednesday.

Updated: October 20, 2021, 6:57 PM