Saudi Arabia will end nightly lockdown measures designed to halt the spread of coronavirus nationwide on Sunday from 6am.
A source from the Ministry of Interior told the Saudi Press Agency lockdown would be lifted while maintaining “utmost care and caution," and fully adhering to precautionary and preventive measures.
The new guidelines end a 15-day lockdown of the Red Sea city of Jeddah between 3pm and 6am after a spike in cases and a months-long lockdown of Makkah.
Makkah was the only Saudi province to be kept in 24-hour lockdown throughout Ramadan, and has remained under a nightly lockdown since Eid, again from 3pm to 6am.
Riyadh and Makkah provinces, where Jeddah is located, have recorded two-thirds of the kingdom’s cases.
Much of the nation has seen a loosening of lockdown restrictions over the past few weeks as part of a phased plan. Sunday’s changes represent the third and final phase.
Mosques, except in Makkah, reopened on May 31 and many offices and businesses were allowed to open their doors. But authorities closed 71 mosques after cases of the virus traced back to them.
On Friday the kingdom announced 1,560 mosques in Makkah Province would be joining the rest of the country in reopening under strict safety measures, nearly three months after they were closed.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Makkah said on Friday it had prepared all mosques to reopen and provided full precautionary measures such as ensuring that prayer rugs are used only once and worshippers remain a safe distance from each other.
People are still required to practice social distancing and wear masks and may not meet in groups of over 50, authorities said.
Fines for those breaking the rules remain in place.
“Returning to normal conditions requires a high degree of responsibility and attention on the part of all us and the need to follow health guidelines,” Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah said as the phasing plan was announced in May.
Beauty salons and barber shops will also be allowed to open from Sunday, the kingdom’s Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs announced on Saturday.
Gyms and sports facilities also looked likely to reopen as the ministry of Sport issued guidelines.
Umrah pilgrimage and international flights into the kingdom remain suspended, as well as entry or exit at land borders.
Saudi Arabia announced 3,941 new cases of the illness on Saturday, taking its total to 154,233 with 1230 deaths and 98,917 recoveries.
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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