An official source at the Ministry of the Interior announced that, based on reports submitted by the relevant health authorities and in light of the progress—praise be to God—made in vaccinating the population and the decline in the number of cases, gracious approval has been granted to ease health precautions starting Sunday, October 17, 2021, as follows:
First: Face masks will no longer be mandatory in open spaces—except for designated areas—while they will remain mandatory in enclosed spaces.
Second: Precautionary measures will be eased for those who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as follows:
1- Full capacity will be permitted at the Grand Mosque, with staff and visitors required to wear masks at all times throughout the mosque’s corridors; the “Umrahna” or “Tawakkalna” apps must continue to be used to schedule Umrah and prayer times to control the number of people present at any given time.
2- Full capacity will be permitted at the Prophet’s Mosque, with staff and visitors required to wear face masks at all times throughout the mosque’s corridors, and to use the "Umrahna" or "Tawakkalna" apps to book prayer times and visits to Al-Rawda Al-Sharifa in order to control the number of people present at any one time.
3- Lifting social distancing requirements and allowing full capacity at gatherings, public places, public transportation, restaurants, movie theaters, and similar venues.
4- Permitting the holding of and attendance at events in wedding halls and other venues without restrictions on the number of attendees, while emphasizing the importance of implementing precautionary measures given the serious nature of the behaviors associated with such events.
Third: Receipt of two vaccine doses is required for entry to all locations and activities mentioned in the second point above, with the exception of those not covered or exempted as indicated in the Tawakkalna app. Everyone must comply with all applicable precautionary measures, including wearing a mask.
Fourth: Social distancing and mask-wearing will continue to be enforced at locations where health status verification of visitors is not conducted through the Tawakkalna app.
Fifth: The Public Health Authority "Waqaya" has established the preventive measures that must be followed for all activities mentioned in Section (Second).
Sixth: The public and private sectors, and similar entities, are required to: to verify vaccination status via the "Tawakkalna" app for all individuals wishing to enter their facilities, and to ensure compliance with the precautionary procedures and preventive measures adopted by the relevant authorities to combat the pandemic, including the wearing of face masks.
Seventh: Emphasizing to the relevant authorities—each within its respective purview—the need to enforce the prescribed penalties against those who violate the precautionary procedures and preventive measures adopted by the competent authorities to combat the pandemic.
Eighth: The Ministry of Health will monitor the number of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, particularly those in intensive care, and will report as necessary should there be a need to tighten precautionary measures at the city, governorate, or regional level.
The source confirmed that these decisions are subject to periodic review in light of local and international developments.