Saudi Arabia said that it would take four months to a year to contain the coronavirus disease while announcing that it expects the total number of cases to reach 200,000 if measures to counter the disease are not followed.
The Kingdom’s health minister on Tuesday warned of a huge spike in coronavirus cases of up to 200,000 within the coming weeks, state media reported.
“Within the next few weeks, studies predict the number of infections will range from a minimum of 10,000 to a maximum of 200,000,” the official Saudi Press Agency quoted minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah as saying.
Rabiah, who warned the kingdom faces a “critical moment” in the fight against the virus, said the projection was based on four studies by Saudi and international experts.
Riyadh reported 203 new cases of the coronavirus, COVID-19, on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 2,795.
The total number of fatalities caused by the virus stands at 41.
The kingdom, which has reported the highest number of infections in the Gulf, is scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home.
Saudi Arabia on Monday announced round-the-clock lockdowns on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran and Hofuf, according to the interior ministry.
The same measures were also imposed on the governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif and Khobar, the ministry added.
Rabiah said the curfew was tightened across multiple cities as many people were not adhering to health warnings against public gatherings and social contact.
Source: Agencies
