JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia will begin on Sunday, Aug. 1, applying the decision on making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory to enter government and private entities. According to an official source at the Ministry of Interior, people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will only be allowed to enter any government or private establishment or commercial facilities across the Kingdom, starting from Aug. 1. The ministry source explained that vaccination is mandatory for entry to all economic, commercial, cultural, entertainment, or sporting activities; entry into all governmental or private establishments and educational facilities as well as for the use of public transportation. According to the source, the Tawakkalna application will be used to check the immunization status of citizens and residents. The Ministry of Commerce said that all shoppers must fulfill the terms and conditions issued earlier in this regard. These conditions include immune by two doses of coronavirus vaccine, immune by one dose of vaccine or immune by recovery from coronavirus infection. There will be an exemption for some categories of people on the basis of their age and health condition, the ministry said. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing announced earlier that people who have been inoculated against coronavirus would only be allowed to enter both public and private establishments, starting from Aug. 1. Taking one or two doses of the Saudi approved vaccines or recovery from infection of the virus will be a mandatory prerequisite to enter commercial centers, malls, wholesale and retail stores, public utility markets, restaurants, cafes, men's barbershops and women's beauty salons, the ministry said in a statement. Saudi Arabia is successfully carrying out Kingdomwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign for all citizens and residents, with nearly 27 million doses administered so far. More than half of all Saudi citizens and residents have now received their first shot and one in five have received two doses of the vaccine.
