COVID-19: Saudi Arabia steps up crackdown on quarantine violators

Cairo: Saudi police had arrested 47 violators of quarantine rules in the central region of Al Qasim as the kingdom has tightened measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

In coordination with a committee in charge of following up the enforcement of health precautions, police had arrested the violators of the isolation instructions after they had tested positive for COVID-19, spokesman for Al Qasim police Lt. Col. Badr Al Suhaibani said.

“Legal procedures have been taken against before completing application of related penalties,” he added in a press statement.

According to Saudi law, violations of quarantine rules are punishable by a maximum fine of SR200,000 or jailing of up to two years or both penalties. Repeat offenders face double punishment.

If the violator is non-Saudi, he/she is punished by deportation from the kingdom and barred from re-entry for ever after carrying out the penalty ordered over the offence.

Saudi Arabia so far has registered a total of 543,562 COVID-19 cases and 8,520 related deaths.