Authorities in Saudi Arabia will allow the resumption of departure flights carrying foreign nationals after placing a temporary catch due to a new, more infectious strain of coronavirus, state television announced on Sunday.
Under the new terms, any country facing the most infectious strain will continue to be restricted, and crew members on flights landing in Saudi Arabia will be limited to aircraft, according to Bloomberg.
Last week, the kingdom announced that all international flights would be suspended due to the new variant, first detected in the south-east of England. The ban was set to last a week, with the option to extend it if necessary.
Saudi Arabia has officially reported just over 361,000 cases of the virus, and official figures have not shown a second wave of the virus, as in many other countries, including Europe and much of the guidelines of the US Official Center for Disease Control and Prevention. recommends Americans against traveling the country.
Several countries have responded to the new option by banning flights from the UK. The US has not been among them since Sunday Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciRubio criticizes Fauci for raising herd immunity estimate to 90% Novavax begins Phase 3 trial of COVID-19 Fauci vaccine: Different state responses represent “major weakness” in fighting coronavirus MORE, the US’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said such a move could be an “excessive reaction” and said the strain was probably already in the country. Public health experts say the strain does not appear to be more deadly and there is no reason to believe that vaccines will not be effective against it.