JEDDAH: For the first time since April 16, Saudi Arabia recorded fewer than 1,000 confirmed daily cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

On Saturday, 987 cases were recorded, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 313,911 since the beginning of the outbreak in early March.

On April 16, 762 cases were recorded, jumping to over 1,300 the next day. There are currently 21,630 active cases, 1,555 of which are in intensive care units.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday recorded 1,038 recoveries, raising the total number to 288,441 and increasing the recovery rate to 91.8 percent. The Kingdom recorded 27 new fatalities, increasing the total to 3,840.

More than 52,000 new polymerase chain reaction tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of tests to over 5 million.

Education Ministry

Commenting on previous statements by the health minister regarding the return of students to school when vaccines are available, Education Minister Dr. Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Shaikh said the decision cannot be linked to something unknown. “We must adapt, live with the new normal and estimate future risks that can affect students and that all faculty members may face in various settings,” he said.

The decision will come after the Education Ministry presents its evaluation in five weeks to the Health Ministry, which will come up with its own evaluation in seven weeks.

“The evaluation is a collaborative and group effort between the Education Ministry and relevant authorities,” said Al-Shaikh.

As to the reason behind the decision to assess the situation in seven weeks, he said the request was made by the Health Ministry to ensure that there is no confusion between COVID-19 infections and that of seasonal flu, which usually appears in late September.

Suspected case

After two days at sea, the Red Sea Spirit cruise returned to the King Abdullah Economic City port in Rabigh after the detection of a suspected case, according to a press release. The suspected case was immediately isolated and passengers were directed to stay in their accommodation according to safety and health protocols. The suspected case was immediately transferred to a hospital on arrival.