Dubai: Students who would get infected with COVID-19 will be granted 10 days sick leave, Saudi Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al Sheikh said.
The minister also revealed that 93 per cent of public school students have already received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
Students across Saudi Arabia are expected to return to school early next week.
This comes as the Saudi Ministry of Education issued the preventive guidelines for students to return to in-person session at schools.
Students over the age of 12 will need to obtain two COVID-19 vaccine doses in order to go to school. Schools for those under the age of 12 will either resume on October 30 or after 70 per cent of the Kingdom’s population is inoculated against the virus.
Students at higher education and technical or vocational training institutions, as well as general education institutions for those aged 12 and above, are required to be fully vaccinated with two doses in order to attend. This also includes all staff working in educational institutions.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported the health ministry has automatically registered vaccine appointments for unvaccinated male and female students aged 12 and above.
Al Sheikh said university students and those who have not completed two doses of the vaccine will not be allowed to attend, and their registration will be suspended. They will be considered absent until the second dose is completed.
“Middle and high school students who have completed two doses are required to attend educational facilities, and those who did not complete the two dose vaccination will be considered absent until the two-dose vaccination is completed,” he added.
