AL JAZEERA
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman announced a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew from Monday in a bid to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.
The curfew – from 7pm until 6am – will be imposed for 21 days, the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a royal order.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia on Sunday said the number of COVID-19 cases had jumped to 511, the highest in the Gulf.
Saudi King Salman ordered a curfew – from 7 pm to 6 am for 21 days – to slow the spread of the coronavirus, state news agency SPA reported on Monday. The curfew will take effect on Monday evening.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia recorded 119 new cases of the virus for a total of 511, highest in the Gulf Arab region, the Health Ministry said.
The tally of cases in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council now stands at more than 1,700. Bahrain reported a second death on Sunday, a citizen evacuated from Iran, taking the GCC’s total deaths to four.
The region has expanded measures to combat the spread of the disease. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have taken some of the most drastic steps including halting international flights, suspending work at most institutions and closing public venues.
Gulf governments have also announced stimulus packages to shield their energy-producing economies, which have been hit by a collapse in oil prices.
