Saudi Arabia has registered eight deaths among 1,453 infections, the highest among the six Gulf Arab states. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia will finance treatment for anyone infected with the coronavirus in the country, the health minister said on Monday, while the agriculture ministry took steps to boost wheat and livestock supplies amid global fears of a food shortage.
Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah said King Salman would cover treatment for citizens and residents diagnosed with the virus, urging people with symptoms to get tested.
“We are all in the same boat,” he told a news conference, adding that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was overseeing containment efforts “night and day”.
King Salman last week chaired an extraordinary virtual summit of G20 leaders to advance a global response to the coronavirus pandemic. G20 trade ministers are holding an emergency video conference on Monday to discuss cooperation on supply chains.
Public health officials say Saudi Arabia’s past experience combating the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) helped prepare it for the new coronavirus outbreak.
The kingdom has taken drastic steps to contain the disease, halting international flights, closing most public places and imposing a partial curfew.
