On Monday morning, the COVID-19 Monitoring Committee held its 68th meeting. Chaired by the Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the meeting was attended by the committee members, who represent the relevant government agencies.
During the meeting, all relevant COVID-19 updates and reports were reviewed. The committee has discussed the global epidemiological situation, as well as the cases reported locally and their health condition. All precautionary measures carried out at the points of entry into the Kingdom will continue in full, the Committee stressed, and will be further tightened. Meanwhile, the Committee commended the citizens’ compliance with the curfew, and called on them to stay home, and refrain from going unless absolutely necessary.
Following the meeting, Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdulaali, MOH spokesman mentioned that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has jumped to over 3 million cases, of which 870,000 cases have recovered to date. As for the COVID-19 death toll, it has jumped to 206,000.
As for the epidemiological situation in the Kingdom, he mentioned that 1,289 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the following cities: 294 cases in Jeddah, 218 in Makkah, 202 in Madinah, 178 in Riyadh, 126 in Bish, 107 in Jubail, 50 in Khobar, 37 in Al-Hafouf, 26 in Dammam, 11 in Al-Zulfi, 7 in Al-Qatif, 5 in Taif and Al-Baha, 4 in Buradiah and Tabuk, 3 in Hail, 2 in Al-Muzahmiyah, and 1 in Sakaka, Dumat Al-Jandal, Yanbu, Abha, Khamis Mushayt, Jazan, Al-kharj, Sajer, Diriyah and At Tuwal.
This brings the total COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom to 18,811 cases, including 16,136 active cases, receiving the medical care and their health condition is stable. Of these, there are 117 critical cases, and the number of the new recoveries has amounted to 174, bringing the total recoveries to 2,531. And 5 new deaths were reported, bringing the total deaths to 144. The new deaths include 2 Saudi citizens in Makkah, a 63-year-old woman and 72-year-old man, and 3 non-Saudi residents in Makkah and Jeddah, aged 43 - 82 years old. They mostly suffered from chronic diseases.
Of the 1,289 confirmed cases today, 200 are Saudis, accounting for 16% of the cases, and 1,089 non-Saudi or 84% of the cases, he said. He added that 791 cases were detected through the active surveillance, accounting for 61% of the total confirmed cases.
Al-Abdulaali said that more than one million persons in the Kingdom have benefited from the active surveillance, which started about two weeks ago in the areas hardest hit by coronavirus. He urged everyone to abide by the instructions and precautionary measure as the pandemic still spreading worldwide.
He reiterated the importance of not going out unless extremely necessary. He also recommended wearing cloth mask because it is safer and decreases the spread of the virus.
The MOH spokesman reiterated that anyone who develops symptoms, or is willing to get medical advice, can use the self-assessment application ‘Mawid’, or call 937 which works around the clock.