Lojien Ben Gassem

RIYADH: People must follow the government’s instructions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly told a press conference on Saturday.

“We’re all partners, citizens and residents of this country … All the steps and precautions are in the interest of this country to protect ourselves from the outbreak of this virus,” he said.

People must limit their movements, stay home, and avoid gatherings and activities of any kind, he added.

Al-Abd Al-Aly said anyone who has come to Saudi Arabia from abroad is advised to self-isolate.

In case of any symptoms, call 937, he added, advising the public to avoid rumors and refer to official sources for information.

Al-Abd Al-Aly said 138 countries have been infected with coronavirus, and those that have been late in taking action are witnessing a rapid spread of the disease.

“We reached different results from Italy thanks to early preventive decisions,” he added. “Saudi Arabia has taken very strong precautionary and proactive measures ... These measures have stopped many activities, whether they’re for Umrah, visiting, entering through ports, suspending visas or traveling to countries.”

More than 600,000 people were subject to necessary check-ups and tests at Saudi ports, he said.

Al-Abd Al-Aly added that the decision to suspend Umrah helped protect people and prevent the spread of coronavirus. He said he expects more steps to be taken to enhance protection against the virus.

The Health Ministry announced through its official Twitter account 17 news cases of the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom to 103.

“We’ve declared the recovery of one case. The rest of the cases are currently receiving health care … and all cases are in a reassuring health condition,” said Al-Abd Al-Aly.

“There’s only one critical case in intensive care, and now the patient is getting better and responding to treatment.”