RIYADH: As many as 150 members of the Saudi Arabian royal
family have reportedly tested positive for COVID 19. The members of the
royal family have been contracted by the disease in recent weeks. Prince
Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,
Governor, Riyadh, who is in his 70s, is currently in intensive care.
For the treatment of the members, King Faisal Specialist Hospital, which
is in-charge of the treatment of the royals, is preparing to cater to
more than 500 new patients due to the sudden
increase in the number of cases. The hospital, in a high alert message,
also said that only those cases which require immediate attention will
be accepted from now on. The alert also mentioned that infected staff
members will be treated at a less elite facility
from now to make room for the royal family.
The possible reason for the mass infection in the royal family has been
speculated to the frequent travels of the Saudi Princes, many of whom
frequently visited various parts of Europe.
New York Times reports that, so far, the members of the lower branches of the royal family are infected. Hence, it is speculated that more cases from the royal family, which has over 15,000 members, will come out in the future. King Salman, Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, who is 84 years old has gone into self isolation on an island palace in Jeddah.
Most of the country’s 2932 cases have been reported from slums around Mecca and Medina or migrant labor camps.However, the worst is yet to come, as studies are predicting that the number of cases will increase anywhere between 10,000 to 200,000 in the near future, Tawfiq al-Rabiah, Health Minister, Saudi Arabia, confirmed to Saudi Press Agency. The country is currently in lock down as travel between cities, in and out of the country has been restricted