JEDDAH: Government agencies are taking steps in line with directives issued by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to effectively combat the coronavirus outbreak and mitigate its impact on the country.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority on Monday announced the soft launch of a mobile app, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, to support government efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
The app, called “Tawakkalna,” was developed to facilitate the electronic issue of movement permits for government and private sector employees during curfew hours.
The Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development has issued guidelines on relations between workers and private business owners during the pandemic. It allows private businesses to reduce working hours and cut employee wages during the next six months, taking into account their daily or weekly working hours. The wages shall not be reduced by more than 40 percent of the total salary.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly, spokesman for the Health Ministry, urged citizens and residents to take immediate action in case they experienced any COVID-19 symptoms.
He said: “If you are experiencing any symptoms such as a high fever, the first step is to isolate yourself until you determine your state and are reassured. The second step is to call 937 and they will get you in touch with specialists right away, and the third step is the process of self-evaluation using the mobile application and website ‘Mawid,’ where you add your symptoms. It is a six-step process that will show you the results and needed instructions.”
FASTFACTS
• 1,645 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the Kingdom on Monday.
• Death toll is 191 following seven further fatalities.
On Monday, 1,645 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the Kingdom, raising the total number to 28,656.
Of these, 23,989 are under treatment and 143 are in critical condition.
Among the new cases, 87 percent are male and 13 percent female. The majority - 93 percent - are adults. The majority of patients, 81 percent, are expatriates.
Al-Abd Al-Aly said that 342 more patients had recovered from the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 4,476.
With seven new fatalities the death toll due to COVID-19 is 191. The seven were aged between 39 and 87 and were suffering from chronic illnesses.
The deaths were reported in Makkah and Jeddah.
