Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia Confirms 21 Egyptians Infected in Mecca

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Thursday 24 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of cases in the Kingdom to 45, according to the ministry of health. It added that the new cases included 21 Egyptians who were in contact with the infected Egyptian transit passenger detected and reported on Wednesday.

The ministry pointed out that the remaining three cases are for a Saudi male and female returning from Iraq, in addition to a 12-year-old Saudi girl, who was in contact with her infected grandfather, who had been previously declared coronavirus-positive in Qatif and who had returned from Iran.

 The Kingdom has previously announced that it will provide $10 Million as financial support to the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the deadly coronavirus.

The kingdom also decided on last Sunday evening to halt its flights to and from nine countries, namely Egypt, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, South Korea, Italy, and Iraq.

Saudi Arabia announced that a temporary lockdown has been imposed on the eastern Qatif province, an oil-producing region and home to a largely Shi’ite Muslim population, to help contain the spread of coronavirus after 11 people there were infected.

According to an official statement by the Ministry of Interior, no one would be allowed to enter or exit Qatif and that work at all public and private sectors in the province had been suspended with the exception of institutions providing necessary services.

All the inpiduals who had been diagnosed with the disease in the kingdom have either been to Iran or interacted with people who visited the Islamic Republic, home to major Shi’ite holy sites.

The statement added that commercial supplies would continue to flow to the region.

Earlier, Saudi authorities exerted sincere efforts to prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in preparation to eliminate it, and to protect the health of citizens and expatriates and ensure their safety, according to a statement released by the Saudi state Press Agency, SPA n Saturday.