Saudi health officials are confident to announce their victory over the virus and that they have everything under control as the number of cases drastically declined and vaccines are underway!

The Kingdom has recorded 139 cases only, which is the first time for the number to be under 150 since the outbreak last March.

The Ministry of Health’s weekly confirmed COVID-19 case map shows that almost all of the Kingdom’s regions are in the “safe zone,” recording numbers below 50 throughout the past week and more.

“We’re among the countries with noticeable control and decrease in cases,” ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly said during a press conference. 

“The Kingdom now has more control over the pandemic. This achievement is due to the community’s adherence to the measures put in place. It wouldn’t have been possible without coordination between the community and relevant authorities in the face of this pandemic to ensure everyone’s health and safety,” he added.

The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is due in the Kingdom in days, and Al-Aly urged everyone to come forward for inoculation even if they had recovered from COVID-19.

Soon enough, residents of Saudi Arabia will get tor receive the coronavirus vaccine for free before the end of this year, after the Kingdom’s approval the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week.

According to Dr. Hani Jokhdar, Saudi deputy minister for public health, the vaccine will be inoculated before this year comes to an end, and that the first batch of the vaccine will arrive very soon.

Dr. Mazen Hassanain, managing director of the SaudiVax pharmaceuticals company, said on TV that the vaccines will be optional to take for the public.

Priority goes to those above the age of 65, healthcare workers, the obese, individuals who suffer from auto-immune diseases, and patients with chronic illnesses.

The second phase of the vaccination will kick off in March until June and the priority will be for those above 50 and patients who suffer from the following diseases: asthma, diabetes, chronic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cancer.

Teachers and educators will be included in the inoculation phase starting July, and the private and government sector workers will be given the vaccine starting next September.

Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced on Monday that Saudi Arabia will procure the vaccine for Covid-19 once its safety is confirmed and its effectiveness proved.

He added that several studies are currently in place in different countries and that health authorities are up to date with the progress. Moreover, the recovery rate from the virus has risen to 96% in the Kingdom.

The minister says that this decline in the number of the cases is thank to the “commitment to health precautions.”

“I also thank my fellow health practitioners for their wonderful efforts,” Al-Rabiah added.

“We (all) are in one boat, and the failure of some affects everyone, so we must work together” to check the spread of the virus.

He also advised people who show any symptoms of COVID-19 to visit Tetamman (rest assured) clinics.

“Appointments can be made through the ministry’s Sehaty app, and anyone who has any questions or wants to consult a doctor can call 937,” the minister said.

He also stressed on the importance of maintaining social distance and the needed precautionary measures.