Manama: Saudi Arabia will enact a nationwide 24-hour curfew during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday to curb the spread of coronavirus, the interior ministry said in statement on Tuesday.
The curfew will apply from May 23 (Ramadan 30) to May 27 (Shawwal 4) in all cities and regions across the Kingdom.
Until then, from May 14 - May 22, all economic and commercial enterprises will remain open and people can move freely between 9 am and 5 pm, except in Makkah, which remains under a full curfew, the statement added.
Ban on all gatherings of more than five people will be continued. Citizens and residents must abide by precautionary measures like social distancing during the partial curfew relaxation hours, ministry urged.
The total ban for the entry and exit from Makkah and the areas, cities and neighborhoods will also be continued, the statement said.
The interior ministry urged all people to comply fully with the safety rules and preventive measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry imposed an immediate 24-hour lockdown on Baish governorate in Jizan province. The lockdown came into effect on Tuesday, and residents are banned from entering or exiting the area, state run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Baish residents are allowed to leave their homes for essential needs such as food and hospitals. All commercial activities are banned. Only one passenger is allowed in a car. Citizens and residents in are only permitted to leave their homes for necessary errands, such as buying food supplies and/or health care products, SPA said.
Saudi Arabia had previously imposed 24-hour curfews on six governorates and seven cities including Riyadh, but eased during Ramadan. However, it did not slacken the total lockdowns implemented in some areas with high numbers of coronavirus infections.
Saudi Arabia remains the worst-hit country in the six nation Gulf with the total number of coronavirus cases and number of deaths. The Kingdom registered 1,911 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, raising the total to 42,925 out of a population of around three crore. Nine more fatalities were reported the same day, taking the death toll to 264. Recoveries rose to 15,257 after 2,520 recoveries registered on Tuesday.
These are the highest numbers in the six-nation Gulf, which together have recorded more than 1,07,142 cases, 582 deaths and 30,821 recoveries.
