Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia reports 2,736 new cases, conducts up to 18,000 tests daily

Saudi Arabia reported 2,736 new coronavirus cases as the Kingdom intensifies its testing capabilities to provide between 15,000 and 18,000 tests a day, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday.

This brings the total number of cases in the country to 54,752.

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Ten people of different nationalities died of the virus in the last 24 hours, health ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said.

They lived in Jeddah, Medina, Kharj, Mecca, Riyadh, and Nairyah, and were between the ages of 26 and 60 years old, he added.

Out of the newly reported cases, women make up 22 percent and men make up 77 percent. Meanwhile, Saudi citizens make up 40 percent of the new infections, while non-Saudis make up 60 percent.

Al-Abd al-Ali said that the ministry was using contact tracing to determine how people were infected. The method has shown that hundreds of people were infected after failing to adhere to precautionary measures and attending large social gatherings.

He urged the public to maintain social distancing practices and to refrain from visiting friends and extended family members to prevent the spread of the virus.

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