JEDDAH: Government and private establishments in Saudi Arabia will face fines and closures if they compromise the anti-coronavirus health and safety protocols set in place by the Ministry of Interior. The decision was made by the Ministry of Interior following a concerning rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. The ministry announced that establishments must abide by the following protocols: Visitors entering premises must have their temperatures tested and should be turned away if they are not wearing masks, shopping carts must be wiped clean after use and children’s play areas must be closed, among other measures. A fine of SR10,000 ($2,666) will be issued to first-time offenders. If the violation is repeated a second time, the fine will be doubled, while three-time offenders will be taken to court to face further charges and fines. Private sector establishments will face up to three-month closures for a first offense and six-month closures for a second offense. The new rules come as the Kingdom’s neighboring countries face a surge in case numbers amid a second virus wave. Health officials are warning that stricter measures will be considered if and when members of the community fail to follow safety measures. Monday saw 255 new COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom, raising the total number to 368,329.FASTFACTS • A fine of SR10,000 ($2,666) will be issued to first-time offenders. • If the violation is repeated a second time, the fine will be doubled. • Three-time offenders will be taken to court to face further charges and fines. • The Kingdom recorded 255 new virus cases on Monday. There are 2,111 active cases, 371 of which are in critical care — a rise of nine patients in the past day. Of the Kingdom’s regions, five reported case numbers in double digits. Riyadh had the highest count with 99 cases, while Qassim reported the lowest with just 10. Jouf and Jazan both reported two cases each. The Ministry of Health also reported 266 new recoveries, raising the total number to 359,839 over the course of the pandemic. The Kingdom’s death toll has risen to 6,379 after four new COVID-19-related deaths were recorded. As testing continues across the Kingdom, 44,496 new PCR tests were completed over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of tests to more than 12.3 million. The Ministry of Health and relevant authorities have continued to stress the important message: Stay safe, follow protocols and get the community back on track in order to return to normalcy as fast and as safely as we can.