Saudi Arabia to build gigantic prison in one week to ‘isolate’ coronavirus patients

RIYADH (Agencies):  Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has directed the country’s civil engineering authority to construct a gigantic prison in just one week to “isolate” patients infected with the new coronavirus.

“International infection control guidelines necessitate compulsory isolation. We welcome the fact that those guidelines perfectly match the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s long-standing policy under His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abd al-Aziz bin Al Saud,” a spokesman for the Saudi government said at a press briefing for foreign reporters on Tuesday.

“I don’t know if I have put the right number of ‘bins’ there. There are just so many, sometimes it can be confusing,” he added.

Saudi Arabia has reported 1,453 cases of infection with the coronavirus so far. Only 115 people have recovered, and eight people have died.

The spokesman said construction work had already begun at the designated site, but he did not disclose the location.

He also declined to directly answer questions about what medical services would be available at the facility.

“We believe these are no times to instill unnecessary panic among the people with information, facts and figures, things like those,” he said. “It must suffice to say that everyone will be properly taken care of. When it comes to that — believe me — we have a lot of experience. In the past, we have conducted top-notch medical work even in other countries, mainly in our diplomatic missions.”

And he said all patients would be isolated at the site “with their own consent.”

“I can assure you that they have already been given written statements to sign that proclaim their consent,” he said.