RIYADH – Saudi Arabia on Tuesday restricted expatriates from traveling tothe Kingdom from 20 countries including Pakistan to restrain the spread ofthe novel Covid-19, Saudi Press Agency reportedlink.

Diplomats, medical staff, and their families are exempted from the newlyimposed restriction.

The transitory ban, effective from today includes people arriving fromArgentina, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the United States of America,Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, the United Kingdom,Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Egypt, India,and Japan.

The recent restriction comes amid a global resurgence in cases of COVID-19linked to variations in the original coronavirus, first detected inEngland, South Africa, and Brazil, and fears that vaccines being rolled outworldwide may be less effective against them.

Earlier in December 2020, a similar ban was placed after a mutated strainof COVID-19 was identified in the United Kingdom.