Coronavirus: more than 16,000 cases in the GCC

The region has taken extensive measures to stop the virus from spreading

A man walks past a poster of Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Riyadh, where full lockdown has been imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections. Reuters

More than 16,000 coronavirus cases were recorded across the GCC as of Tuesday as the region toughened its measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Saudi Arabia has the highest number of infected individuals in the region with over 5,369 cases and 73 deaths.

The kingdom’s health ministry reported on Tuesday 435 new infections and eight new deaths.

Eighty-four people recovered in the last 24 hours, the ministry said, bringing the total number of recoveries to 889 cases.

Travel has been banned between Saudi Arabia’s 13 provinces and the major cities have been sealed off.

Riyadh has the most recorded cases at more than 1,500, the number includes 114 new cases announced on Tuesday.

The holy city of Makkah was one of the first cities to be placed under a restriction of movement. Authorities suspended religious tourism in February and closed mosques across the country in March.

More than 1,000 individuals were infected in Makkah, with 111 new cases on Tuesday, the health ministry said.

Makkah is home to 2 million people.

Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah warned last week that coronavirus cases in the kingdom could rise to as many as 200,000 in the next few weeks if the public did not adhere to a curfew imposed on March 21.

The government had vowed to give out free treatment to those infected including undocumented immigrants and foreign residents.

Bahrain confirmed 161 new cases, bringing the total number of inflected people to 1,522 in the country on Tuesday.

Officials announced the start of clinical testing by using convalescent plasma to treat those infected.

The procedure includes using blood of recovered individuals, who are suspected of having the coronavirus antibodies in their system, on infected patients.

It would boost their immune system to help fight the disease.

Colonel Manaf Al Qahtani, member of the Bahraini National Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus, said Bahrain “will base the procedure in line with the global research” provided on the virus and experience of other countries.

The results have shown an improvement of symptoms in the first 12 to 24 hours after a patient received the plasma treatment, Col Al Qahtani, who is directing the clinic conducting the treatment, said.

Qatar reported 197 new cases, bringing the total to 3,428 people infected

The health ministry said that 39 people have recovered during the last 2 hours, raising the total number of recoveries to 373.

The newly announced cases had contracted the virus after coming into contact with infected patients, the ministry said.

Kuwait confirmed 55 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 1,355 people infected

The health ministry said that 26 patients recovered during the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 176.

Since mid-March Kuwait stopped all travel except cargo flights from the country until further notice.People are banned from going to restaurants and cafes and have been asked to no longer hold the traditional private and public gatherings, state news agency Kuna said.

Schools and universities have also shut down.

Oman, which has the lowest number of cases, reported 86 new cases of coronavirus in the Sultanate, bringing the total to 813.

The health ministry said that four people had died as a result of the virus.

It also confirmed that 130 patients had recovered since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The government said on Tuesday that it would freeze all salary promotions and bonuses for governmental employees.

The finance ministry said that government agencies must cut their budgets by at least 10 per cent.