In a press conference on Sunday, ministry spokesman Saad Al-Hamad stated that, thanks to the Saudi government’s initiative to tackle the pandemic, employees’ adherence to the mandate to have at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine was as high as 95.5 percent among public sector workers and 92.5 percent for private sector employees.

These numbers reiterate the importance of receiving the vaccine and completing both doses, as well as the importance of receiving a booster shot, according to Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly.

“To all eligible categories that received the first dose, it is important to hurry and receive the second dose, as one dose is not enough to strengthen the immune system against this harsh mutation,” he said.

Al-Abd Al-Aly continued to urge those eligible to receive the booster shot six months after their second shot to do so.

This comes as the Kingdom is working toward reopening the country, its economy and various activities, including performing Umrah and receiving international pilgrims.

On Oct. 16, the Ministry of Interior announced the easing of restrictions across the Kingdom, including those affecting the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, allowing a total return to operations and capacity. More than 80,000 Umrah visas have been issued so far.

The “Quddum Platform” enables those coming to the Kingdom to register and update their health data related to COVID-19 at least 72 hours before entering the country. The beneficiaries of the service are immunized and non-immunized residents and visitors, in addition to visitors coming for health treatment and domestic workers accompanying citizens.

Speaking to Arab News, a representative of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom will have freedom of movement throughout their stay, as the permit allows for visits of up to 30 days.

“Pilgrims who also wish to perform Umrah or visit the Prophet’s Mosque more than once are allowed to do so depending on the availability on the Tawakkalna or Eatmarna apps,” said the representative.

So far, more than 70 percent of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose. The Kingdom has administered more than 46 million doses of the vaccine, with 22 million people receiving two.

Saudi Arabia confirmed 30 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising the total number to 549,222.

Of the total number confirmed, two new COVID-19-related deaths raised the overall figure to 8,813. Fifty-two patients are still in critical condition.

The MOH also announced that 73 more patients had recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 538,274.

The ministry reiterated the importance of getting fully vaccinated to elevate the community’s response against the virus.