BURAIDAH: Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal on Thursday praised the efforts made by the region’s health staff in the fight against COVID-19, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Prince Faisal said staff had implemented the necessary protocols to combat the coronavirus and curb its spread, but added that the threat was not yet over. He made the comments during a visit to the headquarters of the region’s Health Command and Control Center. The prince was accompanied by the undersecretary of Qassim region, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Wazzan; the CEO of the health cluster in the region, Dr. Sultan Al-Shaya; the director general of health affairs, Dr. Ayman Al-Rugaiba; and the center’s employees. The governor expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all health care staff, saying that all of them had made exceptional efforts and exposed themselves to danger to ensure the safety of everyone throughout the Kingdom. He was briefed on the indicators related to the pandemic and listened to a presentation from the CEO of the region’s health cluster, Dr. Sultan Al-Shaya, on the role played by hospitals and specialized medical centers in increasing the number of beds in intensive care units, and supplying them with staff and medical equipment, to provide the best service to Saudis and expats. Al-Rugaiba briefed the governor on the efforts made to intensify field visits to the private health sector and ensure its readiness to fight the virus.