Mohammed Dawood

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Four people have died from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and four others contracted the virus within 24 hours, the Health Ministry announced.



According to the ministry, the first case of infection was a 57-year-old expatriate who showed the symptoms and was admitted to a government hospital in Riyadh in a stable condition.



The second case was a 61-year-old Saudi woman who was admitted to a government hospital in Riyadh in a critical condition.



The third and the fourth were Saudi men aged 53 and 63 who were admitted to a government hospital in Riyadh.



The ministry said the four deaths included two Saudi men who were 60 and 89 and a 91-year-old Saudi woman.



The three of them died in a government hospital in Riyadh.



The fourth death was a 45-year-old expatriate man who died in a government hospital in Buraidah.



The ministry said all the four deaths were coronavirus cases that were previously registered.



The ministry's undersecretary Dr. Abdulaziz Abdullah Bin Saeed, who is head of the command and control center, said four international medical doctors would arrive from the US on Friday to make in-depth studies of the characteristics of coronavirus.



The ministry has, meanwhile, closed down 38 private health establishments last month for violating its rules and regulations.



Assistant undersecretary Dr. Ali Al-Zawawi said the ministry has also registered 302 violations at private health and pharmaceutical establishments.