RIAD: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reported on Monday its first case of the new coronavirus (COVD-19), confirmed the country's Ministry of Health.
According to the ministry, the patient was a Saudi man who had returned from Iran to the Kingdom through Bahrain. He added that the man had not revealed his travel history.
The Kingdom had prepared 25 hospitals in advance to handle any case of coronavirus, said ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali, a day earlier, as part of the precautionary measures that included closing its borders to foreign pilgrims from the Umrah.
At least 2,200 hospital beds were dedicated to quarantine cases, Abdelali said at a press conference. Saudi Arabia's commercial activity had not been affected and was "functioning as usual," he had said at the time.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia, which has the two holiest sites in Islam, had announced a ban on foreigners coming to the kingdom for Umrah, which can take place at any time of the year, for tourists from at least 25 countries where it has been Found the virus. .
Other states in the Persian Gulf have reported cases of coronavirus, many of them linked to visits to Iran, which so far have reported 66 deaths and 1,501 confirmed cases, or involving people who have been in contact with people who had been there.
The number of cases of the new coronavirus exceeds 89,000 worldwide, of which 3,060 have died, while the disease has spread throughout 69 countries and territories.
- More to follow.