On Wednesday morning, the COVID-19 Monitoring Committee held its 77th meeting. Chaired by the Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfik 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 necessary.
The meeting was followed by a joint press conference, the participants in which included Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdulaali, MOH spokesman, and Lt. Col. Talal Al-Shalhoub, Ministry of Interior (MOI) spokesman. The MOH spokesman mentioned that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has jumped to 3,680,376 cases, of which 1,206,218 cases have recovered to date. As for the COVID-19 death toll, it has jumped to 257818.
Besides, 1,687 new confirmed cases were reported in the Kingdom, distributed as follows: 312 in Jeddah, 308 in Makkah, 292 in Madinah, 163 in Taif, 146 in Riyadh, 93 in Al-Jubail, 84 in Dammam, 53 in Hofuf, 30 in Al-Khobar, 28 in Tabuk, 22 in Sebia, 21 in Yanbu, 65 in Taif, 18 Al-Qunfudah, 16 in Al-Deriyah, 12 in Bish, 11 in Al-Majardah, 9 in Umluj, 7 in Khamis Misheit, 5 in Dharma, 4 in Mahayel Assir, 4 in Al-Dhahran, 4 in Al-Kharj, 3 in Al-Jafar, 3 in Al-Qatif, 3 in Qaryat Al-Ulya, 3 in Buraydah, 3 in Al-Mithnab, 3 in Sabt Al-Elaya, 3 in Qiya, 3 in Dhuba, 3 in Rafhaa, 2 in Bisha, 2 in Al-Laith, 2 in Adham, and one case in Al-Khafji, Salwa, Al-Badae’, Wadi Al-Far’, Misan, Al-Kamil, Al-Ghazala, Arar and Layla.
This brings the total COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom to 31,938 cases, including 24,946 active cases, receiving the medical care they may be in need of. Of these, there are 137 critical cases, whereas the health condition of the rest is stable. Of the 1,687 cases reported today, 458 cases (27%) are Saudi citizens, where are the other 1,229 cases (73%) are non-Saudis residents. About 20% of the cases (330) are females, and 80% (1,357) are males.
Only 3% of the reported cases are older persons, 6% are children, and 91% are adults. The number of new recoveries has amounted to 1,352, bringing the total recoveries to date to 6,783. And 9 new deaths were reported, bringing the total deaths to 209. The new deaths include one 69-year-old Saudi woman, and 8 non-Saudi residents in Makkah, Riyadh, Madinah, and Jeddah, aged 27 - 82 years old.
Reassuring everyone, the MOH spokesman said: “Stay assured! You are in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by leaders who prioritize people’s health.”
He explained that the Kingdom has a strong health system. “What the citizens and residents of KSA have been doing since the government announced the precautions (even before the first case was recorded), has been effective. Until this very day, all the efforts and precautions applied have kept the health system strong. Countries that can achieve the best results in the face of global epidemics and pandemics like COVID-19 play some very important roles. These roles include carrying out tests to detect cases early,” he added. The Kingdom develops the best methods and treatment evidence to achieve the highest recovery rates. This is applied efficiently across the Kingdom to protect the lives of citizens by reducing the number of deaths. “That is why our health system will not wait for this virus to infect lots of people and have them admitted to hospitals. Instead, we will continue to chase COVID-19 across the Kingdom to detect it early,” Dr. Al-Abdulaali added.
The expanded examination is entering a very important stage. Citizens will be reached and tested through ‘Mawid’ application whose number of users neared one million people who carried out self-assessments. As for laboratory examinations, they remain optional and are safe and easy. Moreover, Dr. Al-Abdulaali noted that anyone who has symptoms or wants an assessment can use the self-assessment service on ‘Mawid’ application. Citizens who have questions can also inquire or seek advice by calling the concerned call center on (937), available 24/7.
For his part, the MOI spokesman, Lt. Col. Talal Al-Shalhoub, referred to the statement of MOI which was released yesterday and published by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The statement announced the provisions and penalties against individuals who violate the preventive measures to combat COVID-19. This is in implementation of the Royal Decree which aims to ensure the health and safety of citizens and residents and prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
These provisions and penalties aim to further enhance adherence to the precautionary and preventive measures taken to combat COVID-19. They also aim to raise the level of personal responsibility of individuals in the face of this pandemic. Al-Shalhoub stressed that all necessary security measures have been taken to control violations and apply the penalties established against violators. The violations committed by citizens in every region of the Kingdom will be announced daily.
Moreover, exceptional registration for all nationalities is available within the framework of ‘Awda’ (Return) initiative launched by MOI. The initiative allows residents in KSA to return to their countries. This applies to those who have exit/re-entry, final exit, tourist, and visit visas of all kinds. These individuals can fly back to their home countries after they approve of their return. Furthermore, regulations will be announced to limit gatherings that could contribute to the spread and transmission of the novel Coronavirus. These regulations will specify all violations and penalties.