Saudi Arabia Extends Curfew Until Further Notice

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has ordered on Sunday the extension of a nationwide curfew until further notice to contain the widespread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a statement by the interior ministry.

The Kingdom has reported more than 300 new infections on each of the last four days.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour curfew in Riyadh, Mecca, and Medina.

The residents in these cities are advised to leave their homes only for necessary reasons such as buying food and for medical between the hours of 6 a.m. till 3 p.m.

Moreover, the commercial activities, excluding pharmacies and grocery stores, are totally suspended in the two holy cities.

The country has reported 4,033 infections with 52 deaths, the highest among the six Gulf Arab states where the total count has surpassed 13,200 with 88 deaths despite strict measures to curb transmissions.

The Kingdom has also banned international flights, suspended the year-round umrah pilgrimage, and closed most public places. Other Gulf states have taken similar precautions.

The interior ministry said all precautionary measures across Saudi Arabia’s 13 regions remain in place.

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus a global pandemic on March 11 as the new virus has rapidly spread to more than 500,000 people from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.

The virus caused complete paralysis in all sports activities worldwide, as many countries around the world suspended all the sporting activities due to concerns over the spread of the virus.

More cases of the virus, which causes respiratory disease Covid-19, continue to emerge, with outbreaks in South Korea, Italy, and Iran.