Public gathering restrictions during COVID-19

Posted: May 5th, 2020

574-02-01

Applying organized procedures to manage or avoid a recognized or unrecognized threat to public health is the starting point for developing public health measures. These fears escalate into health concerns, including pandemics as a possible outcome. Saudi Arabia uses the health ministry to ascertain the level of intervention required and the measures that should be taken, thereby shaping the country’s strategy toward public health (Bavel et al., 2020).

Public gathering restrictions during COVID-19

During its history, Saudi Arabia has never been concerned about anything other than epidemics that result in bans on public meetings. These kinds of events can include religious ceremonies, which can draw millions of people worldwide. Because of COVID-19, the nation was forced to develop several preventative measures to assist in slowing the progression of the disease. One of the solutions was the restriction of publicly held gatherings, which helped promote compliance with the need to maintain social distance. The vaccine certification for COVID-19 has been used to measure whether or not to allow the gatherings, and the limits have been incorporated into that certification (Goni et al., 2021). By taking such steps, the nation is working toward its goal of low spread, which is an essential component of effectively managing the pressure caused by the COVID-19 load . The measures originated from public health policies approved by most countries, with guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). The philosophical dimensions of the matter came into play when efforts were taken to promote public health to defend against the spread of the pandemic (Paredes-arturo et al., 2022).

How it affected Saudi Arabians
The restrictions affect the norms and values of the Saudi Arabian people because of the cultural and social components of public meetings in that country. For example, religious activities were part of the public gatherings, which led to a disconnection between individuals’ convictions and the process of building value systems for the citizenry (Sharma et al., 2021). The most significant effects were from a shift in the socialization goals and other characteristics that had previously defined the life of most inhabitants. In addition, most citizens thought that the policy interfered with their regular activities and religious beliefs, even though the modifications were implemented to improve the management of the pandemic (Bavel et al., 2020).

A personal opinion on its effectiveness and possible areas of improvement

Regarding COVID-19, the limits placed on public gatherings were very successful in their intended purpose. The diseases are contagious and spread through interaction, which may present difficulties for most people in the country. Because of these new procedures, the nation can initiate measures to manage the situation and avoid its further spread. Yet, the problems with the enforcement might have affected the intentions and the goals. The government could institute step-by-step procedures, which would have provided the populace with the opportunity to adjust to the alterations and, as a result, fulfill the requirements of the public health measures (Fraser, 2020).

Conclusion

In conclusion, implementing limits on public health has shown to be a crucial step in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The strategy’s efficiency depended on its part in lessening the size of the gatherings, which in turn led to the containment of the pandemic’s progression. Despite the problems that arose due to the measures’ function on the population, they produced the desired level of efficacy (Algahtani et al., 2021).

References

Algahtani, F. D., Hassan, S. U. N., Alsaif, B., & Zrieq, R. (2021). Assessment of the quality of life during covid-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey from the kingdom of saudi arabia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030847
Bavel, J. J. V., Baicker, K., Boggio, P. S., Capraro, V., Cichocka, A., Cikara, M., Crockett, M. J., Crum, A. J., Douglas, K. M., Druckman, J. N., Drury, J., Dube, O., Ellemers, N., Finkel, E. J., Fowler, J. H., Gelfand, M., Han, S., Haslam, S. A., Jetten, J., … Willer, R. (2020). Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(5), 460–471. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0884-z
Fraser, M. R. (2020). Leading in the COVID-19 crisis: Challenges and solutions for state health leaders. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 26(4), 380–383. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001192
Goni, M. D., Hasan, H., Deris, Z. Z., Arifin, W. N., & Baaba, A. A. (2021). Hajj pilgrimage amidst covid-19 pandemic: A review. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science, 20(4), 732–740. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v20i4.54127
Paredes-arturo, Y. V., Cánchala-obando, A. M., & Diaz, D. M. (2022). Quality of life and mental health after isolating measures established during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sharma, A., Borah, S. B., & Moses, A. C. (2021). Responses to COVID-19: The role of governance, healthcare infrastructure, and learning from past pandemics. Journal of Business Research, 122, 597–607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.09.011

Title: The Impact of Public Gathering Restrictions on Public Health in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19

Introduction
The emergence of a pandemic can lead to a public health crisis, which requires organized procedures to manage or avoid recognized or unrecognized threats. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health plays a crucial role in shaping the country’s strategy towards public health (Bavel et al., 2020). One of the measures adopted in the country to curb the spread of COVID-19 was the restriction of public gatherings, which affected the social and cultural norms of the Saudi Arabian people. This paper aims to explore the impact of public gathering restrictions on public health in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 and its effectiveness.

Public Gathering Restrictions during COVID-19
Saudi Arabia has never been concerned about anything other than epidemics that result in bans on public meetings, including religious ceremonies that can draw millions of people worldwide. COVID-19 forced the nation to develop several preventive measures to assist in slowing the disease’s progression. One of the solutions was the restriction of publicly held gatherings, which helped promote compliance with the need to maintain social distance (Goni et al., 2021). The vaccine certification for COVID-19 has been used to determine whether to allow gatherings, and the limits have been incorporated into that certification. By taking such steps, the nation is working towards its goal of low spread, which is an essential component of effectively managing the pressure caused by the COVID-19 load (Bavel et al., 2020). The measures originated from public health policies approved by most countries, with guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). The philosophical dimensions of the matter came into play when efforts were taken to promote public health to defend against the spread of the pandemic (Paredes-arturo et al., 2022).

How it Affected Saudi Arabians
The restrictions on public gatherings affected the cultural and social components of public meetings in Saudi Arabia. For instance, religious activities were part of public gatherings, leading to a disconnection between individuals’ convictions and the process of building value systems for the citizenry (Sharma et al., 2021). The most significant effects were from a shift in the socialization goals and other characteristics that had previously defined the life of most inhabitants. Additionally, most citizens thought that the policy interfered with their regular activities and religious beliefs, even though the modifications were implemented to improve the pandemic’s management (Bavel et al., 2020).

A Personal Opinion on its Effectiveness and Possible Areas of Improvement
The limits placed on public gatherings were successful in their intended purpose of curbing the spread of COVID-19. However, problems with enforcement may have affected the intentions and goals. The government could institute step-by-step procedures, which would have provided the populace with the opportunity to adjust to the alterations and, as a result, fulfill the requirements of the public health measures (Fraser, 2020).

Conclusion
In conclusion, public gathering restrictions have been a crucial step in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. The strategy’s efficacy depended on its part in lessening the size of gatherings, which in turn led to the containment of the pandemic’s progression. Despite the problems that arose due to the measures’ function on the population, they produced the desired level of efficacy (Algahtani et al., 2021).

References

Algahtani, F. D., Hassan, S. U. N., Alsaif, B., & Zrieq, R. (2021). Assessment of the quality of life during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijer