No recorded cases of coronavirus in Saudi Arabia: Ministry of Health

There have been no recorded cases of the deadly coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom's Minister of Health Tawfiq al-Rabiah said in a statement on Sunday.

The country is taking precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak in the Kingdom as passengers on flights arriving on direct and non-direct flights from China are being screened, the minister added.

“The staff at the [airport] clinics are inspecting all passengers arriving from China and measuring their vitals,” the statement said.

The virus is spread through close contact with those infected, and specifically through the saliva or mucus of an infected person, al-Rabiah added, warning all citizens and residents to avoid touching anyone who shows any resipiratory symptoms.

Coronavirus, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed more than 46 people and infected 2,000 others.

The outbreak is believed to be the result of the consumption of a pathogen usually found in wild animals. Exotic animals are commonly found in markets in China, where their meat is sold for food or traditional medicines.

The lethal virus has spread to countries outside of China, including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Vietnam, and France.

Several countries have also issued warnings and are taking precautionary measures to screen all passengers flying from China.