Omicron concerns: Saudi Arabia advises citizens to avoid unnecessary travel
Travellers from outside the Kingdom urged to avoid social contact for five days
Dubai: Saudi Arabia has urged its people to avoid unnecessary travel outside the Kingdom, in particular to high-risk countries, due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, local media reported.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Public Health Authority (Weqaya) said that the world is witnessing a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the accelerated spread of the 'Omicron' mutant in many countries, something which prompted such countries to tighten COVID-19 restrictions.
Weqaya recommended travellers from outside the Kingdom, whether citizens or residents, regardless of their immunization status, to avoid social contact for five days and undergo a PCR test if they felt any respiratory symptoms.
It called on the public to adhere to preventive measures, such as wearing face masks all the time, avoiding crowded and public places, and hand-shaking.