Saudi Arabia reopens borders closed due to new Covid strain

RIYADH/DUBAI: Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced the reopening of borders and the resumption of international flights after a two-week suspension aimed to stem the spread of a new COVID-19 strain. The government ordered the lifting of “precautionary measures related to the spread of a new variant of coronavirus”, the Ministry of the Interior said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 363,000 cases, including over 6,200 deaths — the highest among the Gulf Arab states — but has also reported a high recovery rate. Riyadh suspended international flights and access through land crossings and ports on December 21. Other Gulf countries, which had taken similar measures, have also lifted them in recent days. But travellers returning from Britain, South Africa or “any country where the new variant of the coronavirus is spreading” are subject to more restrictions, the statement added. Foreigners coming from those countries must spend 14 days in another country before entering Saudi Arabia, and show a negative test. Saudi nationals returning from those countries will be able to enter directly — but must then spend two weeks in quarantine on arrival, and be subject to tests. Last month Saudi Arabia was one of the first Gulf countries to launch a massive vaccination campaign using the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. The United Arab Emirates meanwhile on Saturday recorded its fourth straight record number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, reporting 1,963 cases. The new cases recorded in the last 24 hours brings the Gulf country’s total recorded cases to 211,641. The UAE also reported three new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 to 674. The UAE reported 1,856 new cases on new year’s day and more than 1,700 on December 30 and 31. — AFP/Reuters