Health authorities will collect random samples from arrivals through all border crossings and airports to detect any new mutations of the coronavirus, as part of a package of new epidemiological investigation and surveillance procedures that will go into force next week, according to Adel Belbeisi, the Kingdom's coronavirus czar.

In press remarks Wednesday, Belbeisi said the new measures also include integrating coronavirus surveillance into a seasonal influenza surveillance system used in 4 hospitals and 3 health centers in the Kingdom to detect the coronavirus in samples collected periodically to investigate the influenza virus.

Belbeisi, who is also the prime minister's office adviser for health affairs, renewed the call for the unvaccinated to get the shot, saying immunization against the respiratory disease prevents sever morbidity, and thus hospitalizations.

Health authorities will collect random samples from arrivals through all border crossings and airports to detect any new mutations of the coronavirus, as part of a package of new epidemiological investigation and surveillance procedures that will go into force next week, according to Adel Belbeisi, the Kingdom's coronavirus czar.

In press remarks Wednesday, Belbeisi said the new measures also include integrating coronavirus surveillance into a seasonal influenza surveillance system used in 4 hospitals and 3 health centers in the Kingdom to detect the coronavirus in samples collected periodically to investigate the influenza virus.

Belbeisi, who is also the prime minister's office adviser for health affairs, renewed the call for the unvaccinated to get the shot, saying immunization against the respiratory disease prevents sever morbidity, and thus hospitalizations.