Riyadh: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Jeddah received 493 emergency calls on the first day of curfew in the Kingdom put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Jeddah-based spokesman for the authority, Abdullah Ahmed Abu Zaid, said that it was important for people to comply with directives to stay at home, and contact the authority’s phone service on 997 or use its Asafny app in case of emergencies, Arab News reported.
Authority directors have been carrying out inspections to ensure that arrangements are in place to deal with any situation while medical teams have been working to assist those in need.
Training exercises have also been held to test procedures for moving COVID-19 patients from their homes to designated medical centres.
In an interview with entertainment company Rotana Khaleejiya, authority medical director Dr Mishaal Al-Enezi said teams were ready to tackle the pandemic in all Saudi regions, including rural areas.
“We have 7,200 employees, paramedics, specialists and doctors working around the clock across the regions of the Kingdom.”
Dr Al-Enezi said that 98 percent of suspected COVID-19 reports had turned out to be negative and that while going through a seasonal change, "any changes in temperature or anyone showing signs of flu is being isolated until their test results are negative.”