As Saudi Arabia reported a jump of almost a quarter in coronavirus cases on Sunday to more than 500, Health Ministry Spokesman Mohammed Abdelali said 72 of the new cases were Turkish nationals under quarantine in the holy city of Mecca after interacting with an infected compatriot, the Middle East Eye reported.
Saudi Arabia recorded 119 new cases of the virus, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 511, the Health Ministry said.
The tally of cases in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council now stands at more than 1,700. Bahrain reported a second death on Sunday, a citizen evacuated from Iran, taking the GCC’s total to four.
“We are starting to see more cases linked to interactions. … We advise everyone to stay home,” he told a news conference, adding that more than 4,000 people were under quarantine.
A third of coronavirus infections in Saudi Arabia are a result of people coming into contact with previously infected individuals and taking part in social gatherings, including weddings, funerals and family get-togethers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported early on Sunday, as cited by Gulf News.
The kingdom also reported on Sunday that 17 people had recovered from the deadly virus.