Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry said Wednesday that nearly 40 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country have recovered from the disease.
The ministry announced a total of 2,365 new recoveries, bringing the total number to 17,622. The total confirmed cases reached 44,830 with 1,905 new cases confirmed. Of these 42 percent are Saudis, 22 percent are female, and 8 percent are children.
There are currently 26,935 active COVID-19 cases receiving treatment in Saudi hospitals, 147 of which are in critical condition.
The Kingdom recorded nine new deaths, taking the death toll to 273. The latest fatalities were two Saudis and seven expatriates from Jeddah and Makkah. They were aged between 42 and 80. Most had chronic diseases.
"It is the second day in a row where recoveries outnumber the confirmed cases," said Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly. "Recently, we have seen an intersection between the new recorded cases curve and the recovery curve, while the recovery curve is rising rapidly which is a very positive sign."
He added that the coronavirus death curve was "stable and fairly low" in the Kingdom when compared to other countries, and that the intense workload had not affected the ministry's focus or that of other health authorities.
"Neither performance nor medical protocols at Saudi hospitals were affected by the pandemic, including ambulance fleets and Saudi Red Crescent Authority staff. Emergency departments continue to receive all types of urgent cases around the clock."
Al-Aly repeated his warnings on the risks of social gatherings and asked people to adhere to guidelines to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"Please abide by the instructions and stay away from anything that violates them, especially gatherings or leaving your homes for unnecessary purposes; abide by the recommended hygienic behavior, such as washing your hands and avoiding touching surfaces," Al-Aly said.
Earlier, Al-Aly said fever is the most common symptom of infection as 99 percent of confirmed cases experienced fever, while 60 percent had a cough and 30 percent had difficulty breathing.
