DAMMAM: Saudi municipalities have shut 79 commercial outlets as part of their efforts to monitor compliance with health and safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Eastern Province municipality carried out 10,139 inspection tours in one week across shopping malls, commercial centers and stores. These checks resulted in 43 commercial outlets being shut down, while 544 violators were issued with penalties for ignoring health regulations. The violations included noncompliance with social distancing and wearing a mask, leniency in measuring the temperature of customers, overcrowding issues, and a failure to effectively use the Tawakkalna app. The municipality said it had received 2,320 reports of violations. It urged all commercial facilities to respect and abide by regulations to ensure public safety and prevent the virus from spreading. Jeddah authorities closed 36 commercial outlets for breaching coronavirus protocols. The municipality of Jeddah governorate carried out 8,103 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities in two days, identifying 61 violations.