Saudi Arabia on Saturday reported 493 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,862.
This Ministry of Health added that the total COVID-19 death toll in the Kingdom now stands at 79 after six new fatalities were announced on April 12. The number of patients who have recovered, meanwhile, is now at 931.
The Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali said that six new deaths are all of patients who had chronic illnesses before they were infected with the virus.
According to the ministry, experts have warned that the cases could reach 10,000 to 200,000 in the next few weeks if residents do not take the precautionary measures seriously.
They added that number of cases will soar if a section of people in the country are not serious about following the orders of the government to alleviate the spread of the disease—such as staying at home, practicing social distancing, and observing proper hygiene.
In an interview with Saudi Press Agency, Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said that the increase in the number of cases depend on the cooperation of everyone in the Kingdom, noting that some members of the society are not dealing with the epidemic with “adequate seriousness.”
