JEDDAH: Eleven new swine flu cases have been reported in the Kingdom on Monday, bringing the total number of people affected by H1N1 virus to 125.
The Health Ministry said the new victims included two Saudis, aged 14 and 9, and nine expatriates comprising six women, a man and two children.
“All of them were tested at the ministry’s labs,” the statement said. The ministry has allocated a toll-free number (8002494444) to answer public queries on the disease.
Dr. Ziyad Maymash, assistant undersecretary at the ministry for preventive medicine, said a quarantine facility has been arranged at airport arrival lounges to isolate Haj and Umrah pilgrims with symptoms of H1N1 infections.
He said the government has stocked up adequate quantities of tablets and vaccines to treat swine flu patients. Manpower at the ministry’s laboratories across the country has been beefed up.
“Samples will be taken for testing from people showing symptoms of the disease,” Maymash said. “People testing positive for H1N1 would be separated and given necessary treatment,” he added.
