Riyadh, Apr 30: Saudi Arabia on Thursday recorded 1,351 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 22,753, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The ministry also announced 5 more deaths and 210 new recoveries, raising the total number of fatalities and recoveries to 162 and 3,163 respectively.
Riyadh with 440 cases topped the list, followed by 392 cases in Makkah, 120 in Jeddah and 119 in Madinah.
Paris, Mar 1: Most of the riders and teams taking part in the abandoned UAE Tour, and who had been quarantined in their Abu Dhabi hotels since Thursday after a coronavirus scare, were cleared to leave the country, sources said.
"The pleasure of going home after several days spent at the hotel," tweeted 2018 world champion Alejandro Valverde, one of the top stars of the race along with Chris Froome, the four-time winner of the Tour de France.
"We are doing well and soon we will fly to Spain."
However, there was confusion over how many competitors and officials will be allowed to leave.
All 133 cyclists who were still in contention as well as team members were tested after it was announced by organisers Thursday that two Italian staff members on the race had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Earlier Saturday, the UAE Tour, quoting health officials, said that 167 people had been tested and all were negative.
The Department of Health-Abu Dhabi were "still monitoring the condition of the remaining cases of contacts, whose lab testing findings will be available in the next few hours."
The UAE Tour cancelled its last two stages on Thursday after the coronavirus cases were confirmed.
Danish cyclist Michael Morkov of the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team, who took part in the first four stages, was placed in isolation in his hotel room after arriving in Berlin to take part in the world track championships.
However, on Saturday, he too was cleared to take part.
"The rider present in Berlin is currently in excellent health, with no suspicious clinical signs, and we are also guaranteed that he has not contacted the two members of the management of a team participating in the UAE Tour, originally suspected of coronavirus," governing body UCI said in a statement.
Mar 21: Qatari authorities arrested 10 nationals for breaking home quarantine rules as Doha tightens regulations amid the coronavirus outbreak, local daily The Peninsula Qatar reported on Saturday.
The Ministry of Public Health released a statement naming the detainees and said that the violators were currently being referred to prosecution.
The tiny country, where expatriates comprise the majority of the population, on Thursday reported eight more infections to take its tally to 470, the highest number among the six Gulf Arab states that have reported a total of more than 1,300 coronavirus cases.
Government spokeswoman Lulwa Rashed Al-Khater told a news conference the new cases included two Qataris who had been in Europe, with the rest migrant workers.
Qatari authorities on Tuesday announced the closure of several square kilometers of the industrial area in Doha, the capital, which also contains labor camps and other housing units.
Apr 25: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday spoke to his counterparts from Qatar, the UAE, Niger, Palestine and Czech Republic and held discussions around the coronavirus infection.
In conversation with Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Jaishankar discussed their experience of dealing with coronavirus infection and also thanked him for taking care of the Indian community.
"A cordial conversation with FM @MBA_AlThani_ of #Qatar. Discussed our #coronavirus experiences. Thanked him for taking care of the Indian community. Such challenging times will only further strengthen our friendship," he said in a tweet.
Jaishankar also spoke to United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
"Pandemics further highlight the need for international cooperation. Few better examples than our relationship with #UAE. Applaud the generosity of spirit and clarity of policy that has characterised its approach. Thank HH @ABZayed for the warm conversation today," he said in another tweet.
Jaishankar also spoke to Niger Foreign Minister Kalla Ankourao and assured him of India's support in meeting the coronavirus challenge, including medicines.
"Just spoke with FM @kallaankourao of #Niger. Assured him of India's support in meeting the #coronavirus challenge, including medicines. Discussed its global implications in the context of the United Nations," he tweeted.
Jaishankar also discussed the coronavirus situation with Palestine Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki. "Welcomed speaking with FM Riad Al Malki of #Palestine. Discussed the #coronavirus situation. Assured him of Indian medical assistance," he said in a tweet.
He also exchanged experiences on coronavirus response with Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek.
The minister said the two leaders agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation.
"Glad to catch up with FM @TPetricek of #CzechRepublic. Exchanged our experiences on #coronavirus response. Agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation. Look forward to keeping in touch," he said in a tweet.
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