Saudi Arabia confirms first case of coronavirus

Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry officials on Monday confirmed the first case of coronavirus infection in the country amid growing fears that a surge in the number of those infected in Iran is threatening the whole region.

Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], Mar 3 : Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry officials on Monday confirmed the first case of coronavirus infection in the country amid growing fears that a surge in the number of those infected in Iran is threatening the whole region.

The Kingdom had been free of the virus for more than three months as it spread from China to 66 countries. But the victim travelled from Iran to the Gulf kingdom through Bahrain, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.

A test confirmed the man was infected with the virus. He is currently in quarantine while all those he has been in contact with are being tested and results were expected soon, the health ministry noted.

Almost all those infected in the Middle East have recently traveled to Iran, or have been in contact with someone who has been there.

In Iran, the number of those infected rose by 523 to 1,501, and the death toll from the virus rose from 54 to 66, according to Arab News.

A team from the World Health Orgsation arrived in Tehran on Monday with medical supplies, protective equipment for health care workers and laboratory kits to test nearly 100,000 people.

Elsewhere in the region, virus cases were reported for the first time in Tunisia and Jordan, and there were 10 new cases in Kuwait, six each in Iraq and Bahrain, four more in Qatar, three in Lebanon, two in Iraq and a second case in Egypt.

Worldwide, the virus has infected at least 89,000 people and killed more than 3,000, mostly in China. Outside China, there have been more than 8,800 cases and 130 deaths, with secondary outbreaks in Iran and northern Italy.

The first new cases were reported on Monday in Andorra, Armenia, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, and Indonesia.

( With inputs from ANI )