Cairo: A senior official in a Saudi government-run hospital has lost his job after he hosted a banquet for his colleagues, violating a ban on gatherings, media reports said Thursday.
Investigations into the incident showed that the offender, who was a department head at the hospital in the city of Taif, had brought a meat meal to celebrate Eid Al Fitr with employees, in violation of a ban on gatherings as part of precautions against the spread of the novel coronavirus.
A commission of investigators had recommended that the official be sacked and eight other staffers, who joined the gathering, have part of their salaries cut in punishment. Health authorities in Taif approved the recommendation, health spokesman for the city said, adding that the penalised staffers also violated workplace regulations.
Saudi Arabia has loosened some virus-related restrictions for gradual return to normal life, but authorities have repeatedly warned against non-abidance of precautions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19.
