The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia exceeded 35,000 on Friday as the kingdom struggles to get to grips with rising numbers of new infections.
Officials reported 1,701 new cases , taking the total to 35,432. The country has recorded a daily average of around 1,500 new cases over the past week.
Despite the rising number of cases, the kingdom's death toll has remained relatively low. It increased by 10 on Friday to 229.
Saudi Arabia on Thursday formed a police unit to monitor violations of its coronavirus lockdown rules and banned gatherings of more than five people, according to state news agency SPA, citing hefty fines for any violations.