Cases in Saudi surge to 24,097

RIYADH, May 2, (KUNA): Saudi Arabia reported seven fatalities due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the Kingdom’s death toll to 169 so far.

The number of infections with the highly contagious respiratory disease shot up by 1,344 to 24,097 since the outbreak of the deadly bug in the Kingdom, the Saudi Health Ministry’s Spokesman Mohammad Al-Abdulali said in a daily news briefing Friday.

In addition, a total 392 patients have been cured of the COVID-19, raising the count of recoveries to 3,555, while 117 others are still languishing in intensive care units, the spokesman added.

Bahrain

The novel coronavirus infected 129 more people in Bahrain over the last 24 hours, announced the Ministry of Health.

The fresh cases include 104 expatriate workers and 25 due to close contacts with previously unveiled patients, the ministry said in a press statement.

A total 53 patients have recovered from the globally spreading disease, bringing the Kingdom’s total number of recoveries to 1,553 so far, the ministry added.

Out of the total count, 1,607 cases are in stable condition while only one patient is in intensive care, it noted.

The death toll of the deadly bug in Bahrain still stands at eight fatalities.

Oman

Oman’s Ministry of Health said that 36 novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, cases were registered.

The ministry added in a statement that by the confirmation of the new batch, the toll goes up to 2,483, while tally of fatalities still stands at 11. So far, 750 have recovered.

Qatar

The Qatari Ministry of Health announced 845 more infections with the novel coronavirus and 129 additional recoveries from the virus.

This brings this Gulf country’s total number of cases to 13,409, which are mostly expat workers who had close contacts with previously announced patients, the ministry said in a press statement.

The fresh cases were immediately put under quarantine in public hospitals, it added, putting the total number of recoveries at 1,372. The ministry noted that it had stepped up screening and testing measures nationwide.

Iraq

Iraq’s Ministry of Health said one person died of coronavirus while 82 people tested positive for the virus to take total cases to 2,085 nationwide.

A ministry statement said 28 infections were registered in Basra, 17 in Baghdad, 13 in Irbil and the rest in Al-Najaf, Sulaimaniya, Maysan, Muthanna, Karbala, Kirkuk and Thi Qar.

It also said one person died to make total fatalities 93, while tally of recoveries reached 1,375.

(AP) In this March 2020 photo provided by Gilead Sciences, rubber stoppers are placed onto filled vials of the investigational drug remdesivir at a Gilead manufacturing site in the United States. Given through an IV, the medication is designed to interfere with an enzyme that reproduces viral genetic material.