Aseel Bashraheel 

JEDDAH: The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 is very limited, ranging between 8 and 10 percent, the Ministry of Health said Friday.

The figures proved that laboratory testing was capable of helping authorities record cases and understand the virus better and control it, according to ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly.

Recent regulations to limit public gatherings had been implemented due to the influence that gatherings have on the spread of the virus, he said, and gatherings in all forms, whether to socialize or worship, had been proven to spread COVID-19 globally and locally.

“In several stages, we’ve witnessed the effects of social gatherings,” he added. “Cases recorded at weddings, funerals and family gatherings that are limited in numbers but still count as a gathering. In case people start to undermine the importance of these regulations and precautionary measures, then they could harm not only themselves and their loved ones but society as a whole.

The Kingdom recorded a total of 1,701 new cases on Friday, 22 percent of which are Saudi, bringing the total number of recorded cases to 35,432. There are currently 26,865 people infected with COVID-19, 141 of whom are in critical condition.

The ministry spokesman announced 1,322 new recoveries, meaning that 9,120 people have now recovered from COVID-19, while 10 new deaths were reported. The death toll stands at 229.

The latest fatalities were a Saudi male and nine expats from Madinah, Makkah, Riyadh and Jeddah. They were aged between 25 and 58 and most had chronic diseases.

Separately, a medical team at Riyadh’s Security Forces Hospital successfully performed a c-section on a coronavirus-infected woman while respecting all preventive measures.

“During her pregnancy, the patient was suspected of carrying the virus,” said Dr. Haitham Badr, chairman of the hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department. “After her infection was confirmed, she was admitted to one of the isolation rooms. We ran all the necessary tests to ensure that both mother and baby were in good health before putting them under medical supervision.”

Dr. Mohammed Al-Zahrani, head of the pediatrics department, said that the newborn was in good health. He had all the necessary medical tests and was isolated in the pediatrics department.