RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has announced a nationwide dusk-to-dawncurfew from Monday in a bid to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, thelatest in a series of restrictions.
The curfew –- from 7 pm until 6 am –- will be imposed for 21 days, theofficial Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a royal order.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia on Sunday said the number of COVID-19cases had jumped to 511, the highest in the Gulf. The kingdom has reportedno deaths so far.
Health sector employees as well as security and military officials will beexempt from the curfew restrictions, the royal order said.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman warned on Thursday of a “more difficult” fightahead against the virus, as the kingdom faces the double blow of virus-ledshutdowns and crashing oil prices.
The Arab world’s biggest economy has shut down cinemas, malls andrestaurants, halted flights and suspended the year-round umrah pilgrimageas it steps up efforts to contain the deadly virus.
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Last week, the kingdom unveiled stimulus measures amounting to 120 Saudibillion riyals ($32 billion) to support businesses and said it plans toraise borrowing to 50 percent of GDP.
Saudi Arabia has also suspended prayers inside all its mosques except theholiest two sites in Islam in Mecca and Medina, a sensitive move in thedeeply conservative Muslim kingdom.
The world’s top crude exporter faces plunging oil prices, the mainstay ofgovernment revenue, which have slipped to around $25 a barrel to touchmulti-year lows on the back of sagging demand due to the virus and a pricewar with Russia.
More than 1,300 coronavirus infections have been detected in the Gulfregion, with most cases initially identified among travellers returningfrom Iran which is one of the world’s worst affected countries. APP/AFP
