JEDDAH: Flu cases in Saudi Arabia dropped by more than 98 percent in the past three months compared to the same period last year, due to the public’s adherence to preventive measures, said Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.
The Health Ministry is emphasizing the importance of receiving the flu vaccine as the Kingdom continues its fight against coronavirus, amid studies showing that the flu vaccine can help reduce the risk of getting COVID-19 and the severity of symptoms if infected.
Saudi Arabia recorded 249 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 357,872.
There were 337 new recoveries, raising the total number to 347,513. The Kingdom’s recovery rate is at 97.1 percent. Of the new recoveries, 71 were in Riyadh, 19 in Jeddah, and 18 each in Arar and Hail.
Due to the high recovery rate, active cases have dropped to around 4,400, with 632 patients in critical care. Twelve deaths were recorded on Wednesday, raising the total to 5,919.
Health clinics set up by the ministry as testing hubs or treatment centers have helped hundreds of thousands of people around the Kingdom since the outbreak.
Among those testing hubs are Takkad (make sure) centers and Tetamman (rest assured) clinics.
Takkad centers provide COVID-19 testing for those who show no or mild symptoms or believe they have come into contact with an infected individual, while the Tetamman clinics offer treatment and advice to those with virus symptoms, such as fever, loss of taste and smell, and breathing difficulties.
Flu cases down 98% from last year: Saudi health minister
https://arab.news/muhf2
Flu cases down 98% from last year: Saudi health minister
- The total number of recoveries in the Kingdom has increased to 347,513
- A total of 5,919 people have succumbed to the virus in the Kingdom so far
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
