Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 1,383 new COVID-19 cases, 35 new deaths

Saudi Arabia recorded 1,383 new cases of the novel coronavirus, which brings the total number of infections in the Kingdom to 295,902, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.

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Mecca reported 81 new cases, Jeddah reported 69 new cases, and the capital Riyadh 63 new infections. The other new infections were detected in areas of Saudi Arabia.

Thirty-five people died due to complications caused by COVID-19, raising the number of fatalities 3,338.

Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries in the country reached 262,959 after 2,566 people recovered in the last 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia has conducted over 4 million COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited the Ministry of Health as saying on Thursday.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Kingdom was conducting about 1,000 tests a day. The ministry said that that number now exceeds 67,000.

Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries in the world to provide laboratory testing for the coronavirus, and has so far launched 50 specialized labs and units across the country, according to the health ministry.

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