Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced three new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 5th March 2020, raising the total number of cases in the Kingdom to five.
According to the MOH, lab tests confirmed that a married couple who had traveled from Iran via Kuwait — along with another individual who had come from Iran via Bahrain — tested positive for the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
MOH Confirms 3 New COVID-19 Cases in Saudi Arabia
Apparently in this latest case, the husband did not disclose to Saudi border control officials that he was previously in Iran, the MOH stated, as cited by the Saudi Press Agency. As a result, his wife also got infected with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, another individual who had traveled from Iran via Bahrain — and was in the company of the married couple mentioned earlier — also contracted the novel coronavirus.
“These cases are monitored due to the effectiveness of the epidemiological investigation which is applied in accordance with the highest scientific standards,” the MOH said. “The source of all cases is from Iran.”
The MOH assures the public that all of these cases have been isolated in the hospital, and that medical teams have been providing patients with health services, in accordance with approved health measures.
“The people in contact with the infected persons were counted, and samples were taken from them for examination by the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control,” the Ministry added, citing that all results shall be announced once medical examinations have been completed.
The MOH also reiterated that early disclosure of contacts can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. For questions about the virus, the Ministry urges people to contact Health Service Centre 937, and to trust only official sources of information.
Major Events in Saudi Arabia Postponed
As part of precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, several major events in the Kingdom have been postponed, such as the Saudi Arabian International Festival for Arab Horse, and the Riyadh International Book Fair, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Saudi Arabian International Festival for Arab Horse at Al-Diriyah was previously scheduled to start on Wednesday, 18th March 2020, and take place over 10 days. The event aimed to gather over 450 horses from around the world, all vying for prizes exceeding one million Saudi Riyals.
Meanwhile, the Riyadh International Book Fair was previously scheduled to be held from 2nd to 11th April 2020. The Ministry of Culture announced its postponement, in compliance with measures to help protect the safety of multi-national visitors, as well as personnel who had been working at the event site.
Notably, in the previous days and weeks, the Kingdom has taken precautionary measures to help contain and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. These include the implementation of a temporary ban on pilgrims and tourists, and even the restriction of entry for GCC citizens and residents.
In our case, let us also do our part by practicing good hygiene, staying updated with the latest news, reading official information sources, and following these tips to prevent the spread of COVID-19.