Saudi Arabia drops mask mandate and other Covid-19 measures

Face coverings will still be required at the Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque

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People in Saudi Arabia will no longer be required to wear face masks as authorities dropped a series of measures designed to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Proof of vaccination and Covid-19 status will also no longer be required to enter public places or take transport, with limited exemptions for settings which require them, the Ministry of Interior said on Monday.

For those who wish to leave the kingdom, the maximum time allowed between the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine and a booster shot has been extended to eight months from the original three.

Masks will still be required at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, both of which will soon be full of thousands completing Hajj. The ministry said it was still encouraging Saudis to be vaccinated against the disease, which has killed more than 9,000 people in the kingdom.

On Sunday, the kingdom registered 905 new cases of Covid-19 and three deaths, amid a small fourth surge in cases.

Updated: June 13, 2022, 2:17 PM