Health

Saudi Arabia’s daily COVID-19 cases cross 3,500 for first time in over one year

Saudi Arabia recorded 3,575 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday, marking the first time the Kingdom saw over 3,500 infections in a single day since July 2020.

Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.
The gulf country saw nearly 5,000 cases in June 2020, marking its highest ever daily increase, according to worldometer tracker website.
While 572,225 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Saudi Arabia, a total of 544,978 have recovered. The death toll has reached 8,890 as of January 7 after two new coronavirus-related deaths were recorded.
Saudi Arabia has administered over 52 million vaccine doses as of January 7, according to the health ministry.

Saudi Arabia updated COVID-19 rules

Health authorities recently updated recovery periods for those who test positive for the virus. For vaccinated individuals, the recovery period has been reduced to seven days while the unvaccinated recovery period is 10 days.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior updated fines for those who do not follow precautionary measures. In a tweet posted on the ministry’s Twitter account, it was announced that those who do refuse a temperature check before entering public or private places, and don’t follow social distancing rules will receive a $266 (1,000 Saudi riyal) fine. In case of repeated offense, the fine can reach up to $266,000 (100,000 riyal).
Numbers have continued to increase in recent weeks after the first case of the omicron variant was detected in Saudi Arabia on December 1.

That case was traced to an unnamed north African country, according to the official SPA news agency.

Saudi Arabia recently reimposed social distancing measures at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, as well as in public places. Masks are now again required in both indoor and outdoor places.

Saudi Arabia records 3,168 COVID-19 cases and two deaths in 24 hours

Saudi Arabia’s daily COVID-19 case numbers rise by one-third

Health

Teen alcohol and nicotine use in Europe is up, WHO urges preventive measures

Substance use is on the rise among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada and girls now match or even exceed boys when it comes to smoking and drinking, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on Thursday.

Health

Gender therapy review reveals devastating impacts on teens

A top Human Rights Council-appointed expert has welcomed the decision by all health authorities in the United Kingdom to halt the routine use of puberty-blockers offered to children as part of gender transition services, amid a sharp increase more widely in the number of teenage girls seeking such treatment and concerns that it might disrupt brain development.

Health

Latest hunger data spotlights extent of famine risk in Gaza, Sudan and beyond

Dangerous levels of acute hunger affected a staggering 281.6 million people last year – the fifth year in a row that food insecurity has worsened – heightening growing fears of famine and “widespread death” from Gaza to Sudan and beyond, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.