Riyadh, March 16, 2020, SPA -- The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) implemented more preventive measures meant to combat the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Kingdom's international and domestic airports, in tight coordination with the Ministry of Health. GACA worked to implement a package of measures inside the Kingdom’s airports, in order to take all the needed health and preventive measures. GACA continues the process of sterilization and disinfection operations on a daily basis for all terminals and airport’s facilities. There are field teams who conduct round-the-clock visits to monitor the level of sterilization in order to apply the highest levels of prevention and in accordance with international safety and health standards. GACA is keen to implement all preventive measures in its efforts to combat the novel Coronavirus throughout the Kingdom's airports, where GACA works to sterilize check-in counters and electronic gates. They’ve also made it mandatory for employees at the airports to wear gloves and masks. Furthermore, GACA has made health sterilizers available and distributed protective tools for all staff, passengers and those frequenting the airports. This in addition to providing many awareness campaigns inside international and domestic terminals in the Kingdom's airports, with the aim of educating the traveling public and workers alike in various sectors operating in airports of ways of preventing the emerging Coronavirus. The measures taken by GACA included obliging all ground service companies operating in the Kingdom's airports to sterilize and disinfect buses designated for transporting passengers to and from aircrafts, reducing the number of passengers inside buses and leaving sufficient distances between each of the buses, while transporting passengers to and from the aircrafts, as well as sterilizing passengers’ luggage. GACA has stated that some of the precautionary measures implemented by it in Saudi airports in order to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus, are complete and continuous disinfection and sterilization of aircrafts upon arrival. This in addition to performing virtual experiments periodically to ensure complete readiness. It is worth noting, that GACA has taken earlier steps to prevent the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, where it implemented many preventive and precautionary measures, be it in the aircrafts, or inside the airport terminals. GACA has also worked to train flight crews to deal with suspected cases during flights by using decontamination tools, conducting isolation procedures and submitting the necessary reports to the Ministry of Health upon the arrival of the aircrafts. This in addition to submitting all arriving passengers to a health check-up and have them pass through the mandatory thermal cameras to ensure the safety of all passengers. Furthermore, there are also health practitioners and medical teams throughout the Kingdom's airports to make the necessary precautions and be ready for any eventuality. --SPA 21:33 LOCAL TIME 18:33 GMT 0032 www.spa.gov.sa/w1289441