RIYADH: Saudi Arabia recorded 16 new COVID-19 related deaths on Saturday, raising the total number of fatalities to 7,963.
The Ministry of Health confirmed 1,177 new cases reported in the Kingdom in the previous 24 hours, meaning 500,083 people have now contracted the disease.
Of the total number of cases, 10,895 remain active and 1,395 in critical condition.
According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 305, followed by Makkah with 297, the Eastern Province with 178, Asir recorded 96, and Madinah confirmed 59 cases.
The health ministry also announced that 1,516 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 481,225.
#الصحة تعلن عن تسجيل (1177) حالة إصابة جديدة بفيروس كورونا (كوفيد-19)، وتسجيل (16) حالات وفيات رحمهم الله، وتسجيل (1516) حالة تعافي ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات المتعافية (481,225) حالة ولله الحمد. pic.twitter.com/SrzCdXaKBR
— و ز ا ر ة ا لـ صـ حـ ة السعودية (@SaudiMOH) July 10, 2021
The ministry renewed its call on the public to register to receive the vaccine, and adhere to the measures and abide by instructions.
Meanwhile, police in Makkah said they arrested 68 people for flouting quarantine rules after they tested positive for COVID-19, while police in Hail said they arrested five people for violating quarantine instructions.
Penalties for individuals who violate quarantine instructions include a fine of up to SR200,000 ($53,332) and/or up to two years imprisonment, and penalties are doubled for repeat offenders. If the violation was committed by an expat, they face deportation from the Kingdom and are permanently banned from reentry.
A branch of the Ministry of Commerce in Hafr Al-Batin closed a cafe that was in violation of the precautionary measures, during an inspection tour that was carried out by the branch’s supervisory teams n cooperation with the governorate police.
Legal measures have been taken against the owners of the cafe, as stipulated in the fines and penalties list, and the ministry said it will continue inspection rounds to ensure that all measures are implemented.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs reopened nine mosques in four regions after temporarily evacuating and sterilizing them after some people tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of mosques closed and reopened after being sterilized to 1,805 within 154 days.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected over 186 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 4.03 million.
