Coronavirus cases soar across GCC

Large number of tests and easing of lockdown may have contributed to rise in numbers

People ride jet-skis at Katara beach in the Qatari capital Doha on July 1, 2020. The country is easing its coronavirus lockdown after recording the highest number cases per million people in the world. AFPShow less

GCC nations are seeing alarming surges in coronavirus cases after a widespread easing of lockdown measures.

Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain all placed among the top 10 countries with the most cases for every million people, including those now recovered.

But deaths from the disease are much lower in the GCC compared with other nations.

Kuwait has the highest fatality rate in the GCC with 89 deaths for every million people, placing it 37th in the world.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain had 60 and 59 deaths for every million, putting them in 50th and 51st spots.

Saudi Arabia has the 12th highest number of active cases, at 60,131. The kingdom has recorded 223,327 cases, including 3,183 new cases on Thursday.

It has also recorded 2,100 deaths from the respiratory disease.

Gulf nations have also been testing more than others around the world, leading to a more realistic picture.

Oman is 29th in the world for active cases, with 18,468, after what its health minister called a scary surge in infections.

The sultanate has introduced larger fines for not wearing a mask in public and on Thursday shut some businesses for breaking the rules.

Health Minister Ahmed Al Saidi blamed secret gatherings, including for weddings and birthdays, for the surge in cases over the past three weeks.

On Wednesday, the nation of 4.7 million people reached 50,000 cases.

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Coronavirus around the world

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  Portraits and drawings are displayed on chairs, amid the coronavirus pandemic, during a protest outside the Hamburg plant of European aircraft maker Airbus. AFP

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  A porter, also known as a coolie, carries a sack of rations,received from a charity truck in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters

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  Fortitude, one of the pair of marble lions that sit in front of the New York Public Library's Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street branch in New York, wears a face mask to encourage New Yorkers to continue to follow safety measures in the fight against COVID-19. AFP

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  Victoria Police officers and healthcare workers congregate outside a public housing tower in North Melbourne, Australia. Nine towers in Flemington and North Melbourne were locked down on Saturday in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. EPA

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  A worker pastes portraits of healthcare workers created on the facade of the Opera Bastille, at the initiative of the collective #ProtegeTonSoignant to pay tribute to caregivers in first ligne during the Covid-19 epidemic, in Paris. AFP

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  Dr John Bunge, from Venezuela, poses for a photo before entering the intensive care unit for COVID-19 cases at the private Ricardo Palma hospital in Lima, Peru. AP Photo

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  A man looks at the front pages of newspapers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP

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  Healthcare workers walk through the Texas Medical Centre during a shift change in Houston. Reuters

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  German Chancellor Angela Merkel wears a protective face mask with the logo of Germany's EU council presidency as she attends a plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. Reuters

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  Feridia Rojas, a retired nurse, wears a cardboard box as a protective measure against the spread of the coronavirus, in Havana. AP Photo

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  A man wearing a face mask walks past a coronavirus awareness mural in Depok, Indonesia. AP Photo

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  A Manchester City staffer disinfects the ball prior the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester. AP

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Bahrain has 30,931 cases with 101 deaths. Its Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, ordered medical workers fighting the epidemic to be exempt from fines if they have not been able to renew their licences since February.

Bahrain Medical Society president, Dr Ghada Al Qassim, praised Prince Khalifa’s response, saying it confirmed his constant care and support for doctors.

Qatar topped the global list of infections for every million people, with more than 102,110 cases and 142 deaths.

"Measures taken to tackle Covid-19 in Qatar have succeeded in flattening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus," the Ministry of Public Health said.

"We are seeing a rise in the number of deaths in recent weeks and this is due to the people who were infected at the height of the virus several weeks ago."

Qatar has continued to reopen parts of its economy in recent weeks, subject to strict social-distancing measures

Its average daily number of new cases has begun to fall. In the past seven days there were an average of 748 new cases a day compared with 958 the week before.

Kuwait’s numbers continue to climb. It reported 833 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 52,840, or 12,370 for every million people.

Kuwait, like Oman is now seeing a surge outside of the immigrant population, with 536 of the new cases being among Kuwaitis.

Health ministry spokesman Dr Abdullah Al Sanad said nationals and expatriates must abide by health precautions.

Dr Al Sanad said following social-distancing rules was the only way to keep the virus at bay.