The Gulf Cooperation Council formed a team of virologists to carry out a study on the genetic sequence of the coronavirus that is present in GCC countries, where the number of cases has reached nearly 1.3 million.
The GCC also agreed to ensure that citizens are treated for free and to emphasize the importance of exchange of information among member states regarding new strains and the effectiveness of PCR tests to diagnose COVID-19 mutations.
The GCC health ministers convened in a video conference on Thursday in their fourth extraordinary meeting chaired by Faeqa Al-Saleh, Bahrain’s Minister of Health and President of the current session, with the participation of GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, to discuss the latest developments regarding the pandemic.
The ministers underlined the importance to maintain internal strategies to provide vaccines to citizens and residents in order to curb the spread of the virus.
The ministers also praised the efforts of the General Secretariat and the GCC Health Council, which are aimed at promoting joint action to immunize society and ensure that citizens and residents are vaccinated.
During the summit held in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla in January, GCC leaders adopted an emergency preparedness and response plan, a guide for early detection and the establishment of the Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
