Primary and nursery school pupils in Saudi Arabia will return to classrooms for the spring term, the kingdom’s health and education ministries said on Sunday.
The move follows the “safe and successful” return to school of secondary, middle and high-school pupils in August, officials said.
“Those under the age of 12 in public, local international and foreign schools will commence their in-person return as of Sunday January 23, 2022,” the ministries said.
Remote study will continue for those unable to attend owing to medical reasons, they said.
All pupils, in all school years, will sit their exams in-person during the second term, the spokeswoman for public education at the Ministry of Education, Ibtisam Al Shehri, said on Sunday.
Safety protocol and precautions will be continue to be observed, both ministries said.
“We point to the importance of the society’s adjustment to the changes and challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic,” Ms Al Shehri said.
More than 52 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered and 23.3 million people are fully vaccinated, Ministry of Health spokesman Dr Mohammed Al Abdulaali said.
“The vaccines have contributed to the reduction in critical cases.”
On Sunday, 3,460 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the kingdom in the past 24 hours and 27,742 breaches of safety precautions were recorded during the past week.
Omicron in the Middle East - in pictures
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Medical workers conduct Covid-19 antigen tests on Palestinians entering Israel from the Gaza Strip. Bloomberg -
Commuters wearing protective masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 get out of a tram in Istanbul. Turkey says the highly contagious Omicron variant now makes up more than 10 per cent of new cases in the country's crowded provinces. AP -
A nurse collects samples at a Covid-19 drive-through in the NMC Hospital, Dubai Investments Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pharmacies in the UAE have started selling Covid-19 self-testing kits. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Audience members wear protective masks during a lecture in Ankara, Turkey. AP -
An Egyptian worshipper lights candles during Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo. AP -
Worshippers attend Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Cairo. AP -
People arrive to receive Covid-19 vaccine doses at a facility in Kuwait City. EPA
