KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 671 people were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, raising the country's caseload to 46,195. Health authorities recorded four related deaths during the same period, putting the overall count of fatalities due to infection with the pathogen at 354 since its outbreak in the country months ago.

Official spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad, said some of these cases had contacted infected persons and the source of the other infections was being traced. The new cases comprised 435 Kuwaiti nationals and 236 expatriates, Dr Al-Sanad pointed out. Giving a breakdown of the cases' distribution per areas, Dr Al-Sanad said 225 of the patients were registered in Al-Ahmadi, 138 in Al-Jahraa, 122 in Al-Farwaniya, 102 in Al-Assima (the capital) and 84 in Hawally.

Currently, there were 139 patients receiving treatment at intensive care units and count of the confirmed cases that remained under medical treatment amounted to 8,811, Dr Al-Sanad revealed. He added that 55 patients were discharged from quarantine, during the past 24 hours, however they would isolate themselves at home for 14 days.

The health authorities conducted 4,045 swab tests in the past 24 hours, raising the whole count to 386,887, Dr Al-Sanad added. Earlier today, the Health Ministry announced the recovery of 717 COVID-19 patients, bringing the tally to 37,030. - KUNA