Saudi Arabia reported on Tuesday 1,869 new coronavirus cases, noting a rise in infections among the elderly.
Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Abdelali said the “noticeable increase in cases in recent days, especially among the elderly who suffer from chronic illness, was a cause for concern.”
The cases have been particularly high in Jeddah and the capital, Riyadh, he added.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing on the outbreak, Abdelali said 556 of the new cases were reported in Riyadh, 300 in the holy city of Makkah, 279 in Jeddah and 123 in al-Dammam.
“We registered 17,340 recoveries in a week,” he remarked. Critical cases stand at 1,264.
“Several countries have cautiously started to ease restrictions to return to normal. The Kingdom, with the grace of God, and after fruitful efforts during previous phases, is cautiously returning to normal,” he stated.
He stressed the importance for people to wear face masks and respect social distancing measures.
