RIYADH: Saudi Arabia confirmed three new COVID-19 related deaths on Sunday, raising the total number of fatalities to 8,763. The Ministry of Health confirmed 41 new cases reported in the Kingdom in the previous 24 hours, meaning 547,931 people have now contracted the disease. Of the total number of cases, 106 remain in critical condition. According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 18, followed by Jeddah with seven, and Makkah, Madinah and Dhahran confirmed two cases each. The health ministry also announced that 47 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 536,947. Over 44.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the Kingdom’s immunization campaign started. More than 20.6 million people have been fully vaccinated. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced that the Kingdom’s airports will begin operating at full capacity as of Sunday. In a circular issued to all airlines operating in the Kingdom, including private aviation, GACA said that the full capacity of the Kingdom’s airports will be used to operate domestic and international flights. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities continued their monitoring campaigns to ensure compliance with the precautionary measures imposed to stem the spread of the disease. The Ministry of Interior reported 22,746 in the past week, with the highest recorded in Riyadh with 8,674, followed by the Eastern Province with 4,251, Makkah with 2,113, and Madinah with 1,630. Najran recorded the lowest number of violations with 92. The ministry called on citizens and residents to abide by the preventive protocols and the instructions issued by authorities in this regard. Saudi municipalities have also ramped up efforts to monitor compliance with health and safety measures. The municipality of the Eastern Province carried out 8,879 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities during the past week, and closed 19 businesses and found 402 others in violation of the precautionary measures.  Jeddah Municipality also carried out 13,976 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities during the past week and authorities closed 79 commercial outlets and fined 85 for breaching protocols.  Officials have also called on the public to report any suspected health breaches by phoning the 940 call center number or contacting authorities through the Balady app. The coronavirus pandemic has affected over 241 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 4.91 million.