Saudi Arabia confirms first case of coronavirus in the country

Saudi Arabia has reportedly confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 infection, health ministry confirmed to a state-run agency. The citizen that contracted the disease entered the Gulf country from Iran via Bahrain and did not confirm his travel itinerary at the border checkpoint, confirmed agency report.

Health Ministry of Saudi Arabia said reportedly said that the patient was isolated from the premises with immediate effect. It said that citizens who interacted with the confirmed case were quarantined along with him. Their samples were in the laboratory with pending test results, it added. Jordan and Tunisia were among other countries that detected primary cases of COVID-19 recently. Czech Republic, Scotland, and the Dominican Republic also reported their first cases of coronavirus as the malignant pathogen spread to at least 60 countries across the globe.

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Saudi man's condition being monitored

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry dispatched an infection control team to examine the citizen and collect his samples from the lab in accordance with the framework of ongoing precautionary measures. The samples exhibited the contagion of COVID-19. It was then established that the Saudi man had acquired the disease, the agency quoted the health ministry as saying. The man was under medical supervision at a hospital and his condition was being monitored, agency cited health officials.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Bahrain, two more tested positive to coronavirus as of March 2. The patients were identified as a Bahraini woman and a Saudi man both of whom entered the nation on non-direct flights from Iran carrying the disease confirmed a media report. Bahrain has put its recent cases toll at 49.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly ramped up the containment efforts in addition to the ban on the foreign nationals arriving for Umrah Pilgrimage. It also imposed restrictions on the Gulf Arab citizens touring Mecca and Medina, including prohibitions on tourists from at least 25 states. A media report revealed that custodian of two holy mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz was contacted over the telephone by King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa who extended full support to the kingdom’s preventive measures.

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