Saudi Arabia’s new cases slow down two weeks after reaching peak of 2,840

JEDDAH: For six consecutive days, new recorded cases in Saudi Arabia have been decreasing after a series of strict measures were put in place that lasted more than six weeks.  

Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry announced 1,877 new cases on Sunday, meaning that 85,261 people have now contracted the disease. There are currently 22,316 active cases, 453 of whom are in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, 3,559 patients have recovered from COVID-19, the highest count since the beginning of the pandemic, bringing the total number of recoveries to 62,442.

The Kingdom’s recovery rate is at its highest at 73 percent and it maintains a low fatality rate at .059 percent.

Saudis made up 43 percent of Sunday’s recorded cases while 57 percent were expatriates; 12 percent of cases were children while 83 percent were adults and 5 percent were adults above the age of 65.

The city of Jeddah recorded the highest number today with 586 cases, with Riyadh at 504 while Makkah recorded 159 cases.

Twenty- three fatalities were recorded in Makkah, Riyadh and Madinah; most had prior chronic conditions.

Meanwhile, 16,200 polymerase chain reaction tests have been conducted, raising the total number of tests conducted in the Kingdom so far to 822,769.

Across the Kingdom, mosques have reopened two months after the pandemic forced them to shut due to fears of the virus spreading. Strict measures are in place and worshipers are told to follow guidelines of keeping a distance of two meters between rows, wearing masks to enter a mosque, and Friday sermons and prayers not lasting more than 15 minutes.

Businesses are gradually returning in many government and private establishments under strict new precautionary guidelines enforced by the authorities.

Public-sector employees have gradually returned to workplaces in all government agencies and offices at 50 percent capacity starting May 31, 75 percent capacity as of June 7 and 100 percent capacity as of June 14.