Coronavirus pandemic: Saudi Arabia to impose curfew for 21 days

DOHA: Saudi government has decided to impose a 21-day curfew in the country starting from today afternoon in order to thwart the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), a relevant declaration was signed by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the curfew will be imposed for 21-day. Saudi Arabia reported more than 500 confirmed coronavirus cases in the kingdom.

Earlier, state media reported that Saudi Arabia was going to halt passenger travel on domestic flights, buses, and trains, as well as taxi services for two weeks in order to put off the spread of COVID-19.

Chinese authorities have detected a new outbreak of coronavirus disease in December 2019. The disease has spread rapidly across the world, affecting over 160 countries and claiming more than 12,000 lives.

There are now more than 260,000 confirmed cases-most outside China where the virus originated. Europe has now become the center of the crisis, with cases and deaths rising in an alarming situation.

The increase in the number of daily confirmed cases internationally has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the spread of coronavirus a global pandemic.