KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that 919 people were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, raising the country's caseload to 47,959. Health authorities recorded one related fatality during the same period, putting overall count of fatalities due to infection with the pathogen at 359 since its outbreak in the country months ago.

Official spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad, said the some of these cases had contacted infected persons and the source of the other infections was being traced. The new cases comprised 549 Kuwaiti nationals and 370 expatriates, Dr Sanad pointed out. Giving a breakdown of the cases' distribution per areas, Dr Sanad said 233 of the patients were registered in Al-Ahmadi, 210 in Al-Jahraa, 208 in Al-Farwaniya, 159 in Hawally and 109 Al-Assima (the capital).

Currently, there were 142 patients receiving treatment at intensive care units and the count of the confirmed cases that remained under medical treatment amounted to 9,110, Dr Sanad revealed. He added that 24 patients were discharged from quarantine, during the past 24 hours, however they would isolate themselves at home for 14 days.

The health authorities conducted 4,312 swab tests in the past 24 hours, raising the whole count to 395,349, Dr Sanad added. Earlier today, the Health Ministry announced the recovery of 675 COVID-19 patients, bringing the tally to 38,390. - KUNA