COVID: Saudi Arabia announces categroies exempted from attending workplace

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s human resources and social development ministry announced Friday an exemption of several categories of employees in both public and private sectors from attending the workplace as part of precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

According to the new exemptions, employees above 60 years and patients of chronic ailments including especially those having suffered a heart disorder at least once over the past year are allowed to claim remote-working relaxation.

The list also includes patients of chronic pulmonary diseases, severe asthma, or hereditary immune deficiency including thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia.

Other categories to have been exempted from attending offices consist of patients of acquired immune deficiency, obesity, chronic diseases like diabetes of types 1 and 2 (who have been hospitalized at least once during the past six months) high blood pressure, chronic renal diseases and liver cirrhosis.

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Also exempted are employees with special needs who cannot observe social distancing due to a physical disability, or are unable to understand or apply adherence to SOPs due to a mental disability.

All the exempted categories are required to furnish their respective medical reports and records to the workplace.