Riyadh, January 31, 2021, SPA -- The Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah has called on everyone to preserve gains achieved in addressing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, affirming that this would not be accomplished except by everyone’s commitment and the continuous support by the leadership that made the citizen's health and safety a top priority. Dr. Al-Rabiah said that many countries in the world are experiencing a second wave of the pandemic, which is worse than the first one, and we are not immune to it. We must address this virus with all seriousness along with taking all precautions to confront it, he added. The minister said that we are reporting a significant and continuous increase in the number of coronavirus cases recently due to gatherings and neglecting preventative measures, as this is a serious issue. Dr. Al-Rabiah added that commitment and cooperation from all of us will contribute to supporting efforts exerted by all sectors to address the pandemic, noting that the lack of commitment will result in taking precautionary measures to protect the society. He also said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not far away from what is happening in other countries, and we may face what many countries are experiencing, including the outbreak of the virus, collapse of the health system and the lack of health services. Minister Dr. Al-Rabiah described this period as very difficult and everyone must adhere to health precautions, especially wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing, washing hands and avoiding shaking hands, as all implemented measures will significantly contribute to limiting the spread of the Coronavirus and preserving the health and safety of all members of the society. --SPA 15:14 LOCAL TIME 12:14 GMT 0007 www.spa.gov.sa/w1496256