RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced another two deaths from COVID-19 and 4,608 new infections on Saturday. Numbers of confirmed cases have started to drop over the past week, after a sharp increase earlier in January, and it was the second consecutive day with a decrease in cases; with 276 fewer recorded than on Friday. The total number of recoveries in the Kingdom increased to 594,762 after 4,622 more patients recovered from the virus. A total of 8,918 people have now died from the virus in the Kingdom so far. The Saudi health ministry is continuing with the Kingdoms vaccination plan, and more than 55 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine have been administered in the Kingdom to date. Saudi Arabia recently updated its COVID-19 restrictions, announcing new fines of SR1,000 ($266) for those who flout social distancing rules, and SR100,000 ($266,000) for repeat offenders. Social distancing is required at Makkah’s Grand Mosque and other public places, while masks are also required in public places, indoors and outdoors. On Tuesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization chief said that the pandemic was “nowhere near over,” and urged against a narrative that the fast-spreading omicron variant was risk-free.