RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Sunday confirmed 4,535 new COVID-19 infections in the previous 24 hours, meaning 652,354 people have now contracted the disease. According to the Ministry of Health, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 1,408, followed by Jeddah with 566, Makkah with 199, Abha confirmed 166, and Madinah recorded 157. Of the total number of cases, 655 remain in critical condition. The ministry confirmed two new coronavirus related deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to 8,920 since the pandemic began. The health ministry also announced that 5,072 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 599,834. Over 54.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered since the Kingdom’s immunization campaign started. More than 23.5 million people have been fully vaccinated. The Ministry of Interior reported 28,657 violations in the past week, with the highest number of breaches recorded in Riyadh with 7,979, followed by Madinah with 4,443, the Eastern Province with 3,582, and Makkah with 2,788. Najran region recorded the lowest number of violations with 537. The ministry called on citizens and residents to abide by the preventive protocols and the instructions issued by authorities. Saudi municipalities have also ramped up efforts to monitor compliance with health and safety measures. The Eastern Province Municipality carried out 7,459 tours during the past week and field teams issued fines to 524 commercial outlets and closed 10 others for breaching protocols. Jeddah municipality carried out 8,220 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities in two days, and authorities identified 72 violations and closed 32 businesses. Authorities from the Northern Borders Province, represented by Rafha Municipality, recorded 29 violations last week and closed nine facilities. 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 350 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 5.61 million.