COVID-19: Infected mourners transmit virus to 30 others in Saudi Arabia

Cairo: Mourners infected with COVID-19 who insisted on offering condolences to a family in person resulted in transmitting the highly contagious ailment to 30 others, according to a media report.

The family of the dead man in Saudi Arabia’s north-western region of H’ail had initially announced that condolences should be offered by phone or online, Saudi news portal Sabq reported.

However, some mourners, ill with COVID-19, preferred to show up to extend condolences in person, transmitting the virus to 30 other people so far.

Some of those who contracted the virus from the visiting mourners include members of the family’s deceased man, who had died in a traffic accident, the report said.

While recently easing several of virus-related restrictions, Saudi authorities have banned large gatherings and repeatedly called for compliance with health precautions including social distancing.

Saudi Arabia so far has recorded overall 323,012 virus cases and 4,165 deaths from COVID-19.