Saudi Arabia records highest one-day jump with 3,717 cases
Kingdom producing two million masks every day due to increase in demand
Saudi Arabia yesterday reported its highest one-day increase — 3,717 new infections — raising the tally in the kingdom to 112,288.
Over a third of new cases were reported in Riyadh, a record of 1,317 cases while Jeddah reported 460 new cases.
The health ministry said that 1,615 have recovered from the virus, taking the total number of recoveries in the kingdom to 77,954.
36 deaths
A total of 819 people have died from the virus, including 36 people yesterday, in the kingdom so far. Saudi Arabia is producing two million face masks to protect people from coronavirus every day, said the spokesperson for the Saudi Food and Drug Authority Tayseer Al Mufarrij according to Saudi Gazette news website.
The kingdom has mandated the wearing of face masks in public places to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, causing a surge in demand for the protective gear. Saudi Arabia’s current population is estimated at 33.7 million.
1,716 cases in Qatar
Qatar meanwhile, announced 1,716 new cases and four fatalities. This brings the country’s overall cases to 73,533, and its death toll to 66.
1,277 recoveries in UAE
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention yesterday announced 603 new cases, raising the tally to 40,507. The latest patients were identified after conducting more than 47,000 Covid-19 tests over the past few days. One person died from the virus, raising the total death toll to 284.
Meanwhile, 1,277 more people have recovered from the virus.
Preventive measures and awareness programmes on the risks of diabetes contributed to reducing the rate of diabetes in the UAE to 11.8 per cent this year from 15 per cent in 2018, Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said yesterday.
Speaking during a virtual session of the Federal National Council (FNC), Al Owais also pointed out that the health ministry has reduced the prices of 9,840 generic and branded medicines since 2008. He was responding to a question from Dr Hawa Al Dahhak Al Mansouri, a member from Abu Dhabi, about the ministry’s efforts to support health services.
Al Owais said UAE has succeeded in manufacturing 155 medicines, adding that the medical services provided by the country are of high quality. “More than 85 per cent of hospitals operating in the country have been internationally accredited,” he said.
For residents, availing medical services and buying medicines is proving to be a bitter pill.
Three factors
A spike in medical costs across the region last year was blamed on three main factors.
An overprescribing of lowvalue health tests and procedures, high cost pharmaceuticals and patients spending longer than necessary in hospital for treatment were cited in the financial report.
Doctors have been criticised by health insurers for sending patients home with bags of unnecessary drugs, many of which are expensive branded medication.