COVID-19: Saudi authorities book 1,936 for not wearing masks

Abu Dhabi: Saudi authorities have booked 1,936 people across the Kingdom for failing to wear masks, local media reported.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Colonel Talal Al Shalhoub, said security authorities continue to implement the regulation to limit gatherings that contribute to the transmission and spread of coronavirus.

He stressed police continue to book people who fail to wear masks, whether medical, cloth, or other, in all locations including workplaces, social events, markets and public sites.

People who don’t wear face masks or fail to adhere to social distancing rules will be fined 1,000 riyals, the Saudi Ministry of Interior said.

People who refuse to be checked for temperature when entering public or private sectors buildings will also be fined 1,000 riyals.

Businesses that don’t sterilise shopping carts and baskets after each use or those who don’t measure the temperature of both employees and visitors at the entry points of shopping centres and malls will also face a fine of 10,000 riyals.

Additionally, companies that fail to sanitise commonly used facilities will face the same fine.

The ministry emphasised that private sector facilities that allow people to enter their premises without wearing medical or cloth masks will incur a fine of 10,000 riyals, adding that such fines are aimed at organising gatherings and making social distancing mandatory, as it is the leading cause of coronavirus outbreak.

It urged all members of the public to adhere to precautionary instructions, social distancing rules, and avoiding all forms of gatherings. “A maximum of 50 people will be allowed to attend family or non-family gatherings inside homes, farms, or rest areas or to be involved in social gatherings such as weddings or mourning tents,” the ministry clarified.

Praising public commitment to the health protocols, Colonel Al Shalhoub ueged people to report any violation on the toll-free telephone number 999 in the various regions of the Kingdom with the exception of the Mecca region, assigned with telephone number 911.