Covid-19: Over 90% of students aged 12 and over in Saudi Arabia are vaccinated

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education said on Sunday that vaccination rates among students aged 12 and over had reached 90.5 per cent.

Meanwhile vaccination rates among teachers and education staff reached 96.92 per cent in the kingdom.

The ministry said that it had achieved its five main goals with the start of the new school year. These goals included raising the vaccination rate among its employees, returning to in-person education with implementing precautionary measures, completing the requirements of the educational environment, measuring the level of student achievement through the application of skills enhancement tests, and expanding partnerships with families to contribute to the educational journey of their children, according to state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Students from intermediate and secondary levels have now begun the fourth week of their in-person learning that commenced at the start of the current academic year last month.

The ministry said that it had intensified inspection tours to ensure the implementation of precautionary measures and health protocols approved by the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Public Health Authority.

The ministry also launched the central testing e-platform for the application of skills enhancement tests in general education schools for all educational levels, from the second grade of primary to first year of the secondary.

On Sunday, thee country reported 70 Covid-19 cases and 81 recoveries over the past 24 hours. The number of active cases reached 2,357, of which 343 were said to be critical.

More than 40.7 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have reportedly been administered in the kingdom at a rate of 201,505 jabs a day. Saudi aims to have 70 per cent of its population fully vaccinated by October 31, local media have reported.