JEDDAH: Hundreds of residency violators in Saudi Arabia have come forward to be tested for coronavirus after a royal decree by King Salman offering free treatment to all virus patients.
Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly said that testing is essential to protect everyone in the country and that early detection of the virus improved the possibilities for treatment.
He said that there has been a noticeable rise in the number of cases as a result, but these are being treated rapidly.
The ministry recorded 154 new coronavirus cases on Friday, with three resulting from travel in quarantine.
The number of coronavirus cases in the Kingdom now totals 2,039 — 1,663 of which are active but stable, with 41 in intensive care.
Four new deaths were announced on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 25. The ministry also recorded 351 recovered cases.

Al-Aly said that the number of infected cases is reassuring when compared with the Kingdom’s population, but he urged people to maintain vigilance in the fight against the outbreak.
Committees around the Kingdom have met during the pandemic to decide which cities introduce 24-hour curfews.
The decision depends on the number of cases in a city in comparison with population and whether the spread is easily preventable by immediate quarantine of travelers or others, Al-Aly said.
“All these measures are taken into consideration to prevent and decrease the spread of the virus.”
Meanwhile, a curfew in Dammam, Taif and Qatif began on Friday at 3 p.m. and will continue until further notice, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior.
Services and activities previously announced by the ministry will be exempt from the curfew.
The Interior Ministry also implemented a 24-hour curfew in Makkah and Madinah on Thursday to limit the spread of the virus.