RIYADH: Saudi Arabia recorded 12 new COVID-19 related deaths on Monday, raising the total number of fatalities to 7,018. The Ministry of Health confirmed 1,016 new confirmed cases reported in the Kingdom in the previous 24 hours, meaning 422,316 people have now contracted the disease. Of the total number of cases, 9,691 remain active and 1,346 in critical condition. According to the ministry, the highest number of cases were recorded in the capital Riyadh with 373, followed by Makkah with 279, the Eastern Province with 125, Madinah recorded 52 and Asir confirmed 44 cases. The ministry also announced that 900 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 405,607. #الصحة ⁩ تعلن عن تسجيل (1016) حالة إصابة جديدة بفيروس كورونا (كوفيد-19)، وتسجيل (12) حالات وفيات رحمهم الله، وتسجيل (900) حالة تعافي ليصبح إجمالي عدد الحالات المتعافية (405,607) حالة ولله الحمد. pic.twitter.com/rNKtn29av9 — و ز ا ر ة ا لـ صـ حـ ة السعودية (@SaudiMOH) May 5, 2021 The ministry renewed its call on the public to register to receive the vaccine, and adhere to the measures and abide by instructions. The health ministry confirmed that the vaccines used in the Kingdom are safe and effective, and they are subject to high requirements from the competent authorities and adopt the highest safety standards. The coronavirus pandemic has affected over 155 million people globally and the death toll has reached around 3.24 million.