Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia prepares 25 hospitals

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has prepared 25 hospitals to handle any coronavirus cases that might be detected.

According to the details, a health ministry spokesman said on Sunday that the Kingdom has prepared 25 hospitals to handle any coronavirus.

Be clear that Saudi Arabia has not reported any cases of the virus so far.

Saudi king dials Chinese president to discuss novel coronavirus control

Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia on Thursday placed an immediate ban on Umrah pilgrims travelling from the countries where coronavirus cases have been confirmed including Pakistan.

According to airport sources, Saudi Arabia has also placed ban on those travelling to the Kingdom on a visit visa.

The move from the Saudi government follows the confirmation of two coronavirus cases in Pakistan on Wednesday evening.

All airlines had directed to inform their passengers to wait for further orders.

The government suspends entry to the Kingdom for the purpose of Umrah and visiting the Prophet’s Mosque temporarily”, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

#Statement | Proactive Preventive Measures to Prevent the Arrival of the New Coronavirus (#COVID19) to the Kingdom pic.twitter.com/fuBAWq19Du

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— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 26, 2020

Umrah attracts tens of thousands of Muslims from all over the globe each month.

The foreign ministry said it also suspended visas for tourists visiting from countries where the new virus is a “danger”.

Coronavirus

It is to be noted that an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, started in December 2019.

It was first identified in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, China.[5][6] As of 26 February 2020, 81,278 cases have been confirmed, including in all provinces of China and more than forty other countries.

There have been 2,770 deaths attributable to the disease, including 55 outside mainland China, surpassing that of the 2003 SARS outbreak.

However, more than 30,000 people have since recovered.