Saudi Arabia suspends flights to identify new COVID strain: minister

Dr. Tawfig Al-Rabiah, Minister of Health

The mutated coronavirus is currently under study and its developments are being followed with great interest, Al Ekhbariya TV reported, citing Minister of Health Tawfig Al-Rabiah.

He added that the Saudi leadership suspended flights until further understanding of the nature of the virus, indicating that the transmission rate of the virus spread is currently under study.

The minister further noted that the new strain is not worse than the previous coronavirus, and that according to preliminary study, the vaccine is effective.

According to data compiled by Argaam, Saudi Arabia decided to temporarily halt international flights – except in emergency cases – for a renewable week over an infectious new strain of the novel coronavirus.