The source said that there are reports about citizens travelling to the countries where travel is prohibited in violation of the instructions issued by the official authorities…reports Asian Lite News
The Ministry of Interior has warned Saudi citizens against travelling to countries that have been put on the no-travel list recently as these countries are currently witnessing a surge in cases of Covid-19 and its new variants.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday, an official source at the ministry said that travelling to the banned countries is an explicit violation of the announced instructions, the Saudi Gazette reported.
The source said that there are reports about citizens travelling to the countries where travel is prohibited in violation of the instructions issued by the official authorities, warning that such deception, if proven, warrants legal accountability and heavy penalties. He added that those who are found to have violated the instructions would be banned from travelling abroad for 3 years.
The Ministry of Interior in the statement called on citizens against travelling directly or indirectly to countries where the pandemic has not yet been controlled and there are cases of mutated strains.
It also urged citizens to exercise caution and stay away from areas where instability prevails or the virus is spreading, and take all precautionary measures regardless of their destination.
The red-list countries include the UAE, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Belarus, India and Vietnam.
Last week, Saudi Arabia had announced the successful conclusion of this year’s Hajj season, free from the Covid-19 and other contagious diseases, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah attributed the success to an integrated system of health facilities in the holy sites, highly equipped ambulances and qualified teams, the report said.
The minister added that limiting the number of domestic pilgrims during this Hajj season to 60,000 also contributed to the success, the Xinhua news agency reported.
For the second year in a row, Saudi Arabia has allowed only domestic pilgrims to performed Hajj to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As on Tuesday, the country’s coronavirus tally stands at 520,774, including 11,136 active cases, while the total number of deaths was at 8,189.
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