Health Ministry issues guide to tourists
Social distancing and handwashing among key measures
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has recommended measures to tourists and travelers to prevent them from contracting or spreading coronavirus.
The measures are to be taken while traveling, in residence, in open recreational areas such as beaches and parks, in closed entertainment places, while out shopping, and in restaurants and cinemas. There are also measures to be taken while in children’s company.
The ministry published an infographic on its Twitter account and its educational platform, Live Well, telling people to respect social distancing and call the free toll number 937 when coming into contact with people who might be infected and showing symptoms such as coughing, fever or shortness of breath.
It called on everyone to wear face masks in public, wash their hands or sanitize them for 20 seconds.
It also warned against sharing utensils with others, shaking hands, hugs, or touching the eyes or nose. It advised people to cough or sneeze into their elbow, or cover their mouth and nose with a handkerchief and dispose of it immediately afterwards. The ministry also stressed on keeping a safe distance of no less than two meters.
Anyone with symptoms is advised to use the Mawid app for self-evaluation, visit one of the 237 clinics specialized in dealing with COVID-19 infection cases, or message the WhatsApp number 920005937 for health information and services. They can also get updates on developments related to the pandemic, primary care centers, blood donation centers, and ways to set appointments.
With the majority of lockdown restrictions now lifted in Saudi Arabia the Jeddah Municipality carried out inspection tours of women’s beauty salons and hairdressers to ensure the implementation of precautionary measures to fight the spread of COVID-19. Mohammed bin Ibrahim AlZahrani, deputy mayor of Jeddah’s sub-municipalities, said that 185 inspection tours had been carried out since women’s salons had reopened and that 17 centers were penalized for not following the measures.
FASTFACT
The ministry published an infographic on its Twitter account and its educational platform, Live Well, telling people to respect social distancing and call the free toll number 937 when coming into contact with people who might be infected and showing symptoms.