RIYADH — The capital topped the list of new confirmed coronavirus cases with 1,317 infections during the last 24 hours as Saudi Arabia reported its highest ever increase of 3,717 new cases Wednesday. This brings the total number of infections in the Kingdom to 112,288. Health ministry spokesman Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali was quoted by Saudi Press Agency (SPA) as saying that the number of recoveries stood at 1,615. The spokesman also said 36 people died of the virus. Riyadh was followed by 460 cases in Jeddah, 194 in Hufof, 189 in Dammam, 157 in Qatif, 140 in Makkah, 127 each in Madinah and Taif and 103 in Hail. Additionally, there were 63 cases in Ad-Diriyah, 55 in Muzammiah, 52 in Dhahran, 50 in Abha, 47 in Mubarraz, 42 in Hail and 41 in Jubail. The rest of the cases were scattered in different other regions of the governorates in the Kingdom, Dr. Al-Abdel Ali said. The number of active coronavirus cases and the virus-related death toll is rising because several members of the public continue to ignore preventative measures, Dr. Al-Abdel Ali said on Tuesday, urging citizens and residents to follow social distancing rules and precautionary measures. Forty percent of COVID-19 cases reported in the Kingdom so far are the result of people failing to follow rules instructed by the ministry, he said. Dozens of young men and women who did not adhere to precautionary measures when they left their homes and then came into direct contact with members of their family, including the elderly, infected several other people, Dr. Al-Abdel Ali said. The daily death rate in the Kingdom has also been rising recently due to the fact that more vulnerable people, such as the elderly or people with chronic illnesses, have been getting infected, according to the official.
