Saudi Arabia reported on Wednesday its second case of the new coronavirus. The patient is a Saudi national who had traveled to Iran and returned to the Kingdom through Bahrain.
The health ministry said the patient had not declared upon his return to the Kingdom that he was in Iran, which has reported the most deaths outside China, where the flu-like disease originated.
He was a travel companion of the first infected patient.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended Umrah pilgrimages to the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah for Saudi citizens and the Kingdom's other residents due to coronavirus concerns, the state news agency SPA said on Wednesday.
The decision will be reviewed regularly and reversed when the situation changes, SPA said, citing an official source in the Saudi interior ministry.
Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said Wednesday the patient was in stable condition and has been isolated in a hospital for treatment.
He revealed that 51 people whom the first coronavirus patient had contact with tested negative for the virus.
On Tuesday, the Kingdom barred citizens and residents of the GCC countries from entering its territories for 14 days after returning from outside the region due to coronavirus concerns.
Travellers coming from any fellow GCC state must spend 14 continuous days in that country and show no signs of the coronavirus before being granted entry.
