Saudi Arabia sees 1,197 new coronavirus infections

Qatar reported the second-highest increase in cases among Gulf states with 833 new infections

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Saudi Arabia reported 1,197 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths on Saturday, with Makkah accounting for the highest daily rise in infections among Saudi cities for the fifth time in the past week.

Of the total cases detected since Friday, 364 were in Makkah, 271 in Jeddah, 170 in Riyadh, 120 in Madinah and 43 in Dammam.

The news cases took the total number of coronavirus infections detected in the kingdom to 16,299.

The Saudi health ministry said the number of patients who had recovered from the virus rose by 165 to 2,214.

A total of 136 people have died of the disease in the kingdom.

An aerial view shows deserted streets in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on April 21, 2020, as the message "stay home" is displayed on a tower during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. / AFP / BANDAR ALDANDANI
Streets in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah are deserted amid restrictions on movement to stop the spread of Covid-19. AFP

Qatar reported the second-highest increase in cases among Gulf states with 833 new infections detected since Friday.

Qatar's health ministry said 20 patients had recovered, leaving the country with 8,419 active cases.

Most of the new cases were among expatriate workers who had been in contact with previously diagnosed cases, the ministry said.

Qatar has reported 10 deaths from the disease, while 929 patients have recovered.

The number of cases detected in Kuwait rose by 278 to 2,892, with four more deaths, the health ministry said on Saturday.

Ministry spokesman Abdulla Al Sand said 58 patients were intensive care, 25 of them in critical condition. The number patients being treated for the disease was 2,217.

All the four people who died had been in intensive care: a 74-year-old Kuwaiti woman; a Bangladeshi, 64; and Egyptian, 45; and a 59-year-old Indian.

Kuwaiti Health Minister Basel Al Sabah said 43 more Covid-19 patients had recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 656.

Dr Al Sabah said efforts were being made ease the coronavirus precautions but resumption of work was unlikely before the end of Ramadan.

Bahrain detected 70 more coronavirus cases, of which 51 are among expatriate workers, the health ministry said.

Nineteen of the new infections were transmitted from existing cases.

The ministry said 19 more Covid-19 patients had recovered.

A 79-year-old Omani man died on from the virus on Friday night, raising the country's Covid-19 death toll to 10.

The number of cases recorded in the sultanate rose to 1,905 with the detection of 115 new infections, the Omani health ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said 48 of the new cases were Omanis and 67 were foreigners. The overall number of recoveries in Oman has reached 329, it said.