Saudi Arabia launches ‘health passport’

Saudi Arabia has launched the “health passport” service through the Tawakkalna app.

On Thursday January 7, 2021, the app was approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The service confirms that an individual has received all doses of the virus vaccine and was therefore “immune” from it.

The move is a significant step by Saudi authorities in protecting lives, said Health Minister spokesman Dr. Mohammed Abdelali.

Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and head of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi oversaw the launch of the service.

Al-Rabiah received on Thursday the second jab of the vaccine, hailing the keenness of the Saudi leadership in providing the shots in the Kingdom and its people and residents in record time.

This has made Saudi Arabia among the top countries in fighting the pandemic, he stressed.

Work is underway to open more vaccination stations so that they will be available throughout the country, he revealed.

Over 137,000 people have received the vaccine. Over a million people are registered to receive the shot during the first phase of inoculation.

Saudi Arabia reported on Thursday 108 new infections, taking its total to 363,485. It confirmed 138 more recoveries and six new deaths.