RIYADH — The Moderna vaccine is considered as more effective with higher efficacy than other coronavirus vaccines against variants, especially the Delta variant, the Ministry of Health official spokesman Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali said. The Health Ministry spokesman, at the press conference here on Sunday, stressed that the Ministry of Health has started giving the booster dose to those in high-risk groups. He also reiterated that the first and second doses of the vaccines are safe for pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy. He confirmed the importance of completing vaccinations and everyone must adhere to precautionary measures even after the decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions. New COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia stayed below the 50-mark on Sunday, the fourth consecutive day, with 41 new infections recorded over the past 24 hours. Saudi Arabia has administered more than 44 million doses of the vaccines till date since the start of vaccination. On his side, the Ministry of Interior spokesman Lt. Col. Talal Al-Shalhoub said, that during the week, 22,746 violations of the precautionary and preventive measures against the coronavirus were detected. He added that the decision to ease precautionary measures began Sunday, Oct. 17, only for those vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine, as wearing face masks in open areas and social distancing is not mandatory. In the same press conference, spokesman of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Hani Haidar, confirmed the complete readiness of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque to receive pilgrims and worshipers at its full capacity. The spokesman stressed that performing Umrah or prayer at the Grand Mosque or the Rawdah Sharif at the Prophet's Mosque requires permits to enter the Holy Mosques, as permission is allowed only for immune people who have received two doses of the vaccines and only those at age of 12 or above. The permit will continue to be issued through taking appointment via Eatmarna or Tawakkalna applications as part of the measures to control the number of the faithful. For his part, Dr. Emad Al-Mohammadi a preventive medicine and public health consultant in The Public Health Authority (Weqaya), said the requirement to measure the temperature at the centers entrances and facilities has been canceled and it is sufficient to verify the status in the "Tawakkalna" application. At the press conference, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing spokesman Saif Al-Suwailem confirmed that the ministry had carried out 5,300,000 inspections in all the regions of Saudi Arabia. After the decision to allow people to hold and attend events in wedding halls and other venues, Al-Suwailan stressed the importance of wearing the facemasks while attending the occasions or in any closed areas.
