JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday reported 783 new COVID-19 infections, raising its total to 394,952, with an increase in the number of patients being admitted to intensive care units.
Authorities have reiterated that the public should remain vigilant and refrain from any behavior that could lead to them or someone else being infected.
Breaches of COVID-19 protocols have led to the closure of stores and other commercial establishments, with fines given to violators.
The country has seen 153 patients admitted to intensive care units since the beginning of April. Six were admitted in the past 24 hours.
Of Wednesday’s reported cases, Riyadh had 341 followed by Makkah with 142 and the Eastern Province with 131. Three regions reported single-digit infections: Jouf and the Northern Borders reported nine cases each and Baha had seven.
The country has 7,044 active cases, of which 852 are in critical care, and there were 417 new recoveries, raising this total to 381,189.
A further eight deaths from COVID-19 complications have increased the death toll to 6,719.
More than 15.5 million PCR tests have been conducted so far in Saudi Arabia, with 63,992 tests in the past 24 hours, and the Ministry of Health said that more than 250,000 coronavirus vaccine doses had been administered in the past 24 hours.
The total number of doses given out is now more than 5.5 million, at a rate of 152,891 a day.
The number of vaccines given to residents has risen as more centers open 24 hours a day to accommodate the increase in demand and to quicken the vaccine rollout.
Almost 16 percent of the Kingdom’s residents have received at least one jab so far.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance reported that 502 mosques had been temporarily shut during a 52-day period, 475 of which were reopened after the necessary sanitization process had been completed.
