Saudis celebrating Eid urged to maintain safety measures

Saudi health officials on Thursday urged Muslims celebrating Eid Al-Adha not to drop their guard in sticking to safety measures aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Ministry of Health stressed the need for people to maintain social distancing rules, continue to wash their hands regularly, and wear a face mask.

“During this blessed occasion (Eid Al-Adha), there will be several opportunities during gatherings and activities for all of us to connect, but that connection needs to be mindful of social distancing,” said ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly.

Any interactions should be safe, healthy, and danger-free, to avoid the spread of the virus. “We can be happy around each other and safe. Wearing a mask and continuously washing your hands will not ruin an occasion. Remember to not exceed the allowed number of 50 individuals in an enclosed space,” added Al-Aly.

He noted that the number of COVID-19 deaths had stabilized and decreased over the last three weeks.

Meanwhile, according to Al-Ekhbariya, Tetamman (rest assured) clinics in Asir received more than 26,000 individuals across 24 facilities in the region, and 18 branches in Qassim dealt with 25,000 people.

As part of efforts to expand the monitoring of the spread of COVID-19 and protect high-risk groups, the Saudi Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Weqaya) has launched a new national registration platform to collect data on people who have tested positive for the disease. Resulting statistics will enable experts to conduct appropriate research, such as studies of drug efficacy and clinical protocols.

Weqaya has been at the forefront of the Kingdom’s drive to combat the virus outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia recorded 34 new COVID-19-related deaths, taking the overall total to 2,635. There were 2,238 new cases reported in the Kingdom, meaning 260,394 people had now contracted the disease, of which 44,269 were active cases with 2,170 patients being in a critical condition.

Of the newly recorded cases, 147 were in Al-Hofuf, 143 in Riyadh, and 119 in Makkah.

Ministry officials also announced that 3,092 more patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 213,490.

The number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests carried out in the Kingdom had reached 3 million.