New variant of Covid-19: KSA lifts ban on sea, land, airways
BI Report || BusinessInsider
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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Sunday lifted the ban imposed on incoming travelers through the country’s land, sea and airways to contain the spread of a new variant of coronavirus in a number of countries.
The decision came into effect around 11:00am on Sunday (local time), The Saudi Press Agency, the official news agency of the Kingdom reports quoting an official at the Ministry of Interior.
The country took the precautionary measures for a week from December 20, 2020 and it was, then extended for another week ended this morning, taking into consideration the followings:
1- Entry into the Kingdom for non-citizens coming from the United Kingdom and South Africa, as well as from any other country being specified by the Ministry of Health, in which the new variant of the novel coronavirus (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread, shall be provided that whoever wishes to enter shall spend a period of no less than (14) days outside the country in which the new coronavirus variant (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread before entering the Kingdom, with a (PCR) examination after the expiration of this period, proving that he/she is Covid-19 infection-free.
2- Citizens who are allowed to enter the Kingdom for humanitarian and urgent cases coming from countries where the new coronavirus variant (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread, shall be quarantined, pursuant to paragraph (1) above, in their homes under observance for a period of (14) days, with two (PCR) examinations of the first shall be carried out after arrival within no more than (48) hours and the second before ending the quarantine on the 13th day.
As for the countries in which cases of the strain (B. 1, 1, 7) were registered, those coming from them shall be quarantined in their homes under observance for a period of (7) days, with PCR examination, before the end of the quarantine period on the 6th day.
Concerning the rest of other countries, the procedures currently followed shall be applied: 7-days mandatory home quarantine as a maximum or 3-days at least, with a mandatory laboratory examination using the (PCR) technology, said the news agency.
