Saudi Arabia requires PCR test every week for some unvaccinated workers

Saudi Arabia requires PCR test every week for some unvaccinated workers
March 25, 2021, 11:05 am

A food delivery worker carries food orders at a restaurant in Riyadh. (File photo: Reuters)

Workers in certain fields in Saudi Arabia will be required to take a PCR test every seven days at the expense of their employer if they are not vaccinated, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing announced on Wednesday.Employees in barbershops, female salons, restaurants, cafes, and food outlets must be vaccinated starting from May 13, the ministry said.

A barber wears a protective face shield and gloves as he cuts hair of a customer at a local barber shop in Riyadh. (File photo: Reuters)

All public transport workers in Saudi Arabia will also be required to take the vaccine or submit a negative PCR test every week, according to the Ministry of Sports and Transport General Authority.

The decision comes as part of efforts to protect public health and curb the spread of COVID-19.

More than 3 million people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health announced earlier this week.

Over 500 inoculation centers provide free vaccines for citizens and residents around the Kingdom, including in pharmacies, to ensure everyone has access to them, according to the ministry.