Saudi minister’s vaccine plea as daily virus cases rise above 1,000

Saudi minister’s vaccine plea as daily virus cases rise above 1,000

JEDDAH: Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah has urged people living in the Kingdom to be vaccinated against coronavirus as COVID-19 infections continue to rise, climbing above 1, 000 new cases a day. "More than 950 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered around the world, and the vaccine has demonstrated a high level of safety and efficacy," Al-Rabiah said on Twitter. "Advice from the heart, take the step and get the vaccine for your health and safety," he added. Al-Rabiah said that over 3 million people have died from COVID-19, and more than 100 million people suffer from the effects of the disease. King Saud University professor of anesthesiology and intensive care Nasser Tawfiq blamed the recent spike in cases on violations of health protocols in the weeks before Ramadan as people were preparing for the holy month. In an interview with Al-Ekhbariya channel, Tawfiq said that cases are now increasing weekly compared with last year when numbers rose day after day. Breaking any numbers barrier will take longer, "and the best way to make a difference is with vaccines," he said. "We will be in a seriously critical state if numbers rise above 1, 500," warned Tawfiq. Meanwhile,