Saudi Arabia declares nationwide coronavirus curfew
Saudi Arabia has announced a nationwide curfew for the next three weeks in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19.
In a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, where confirmed cases have more than tripled in the past week, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has announced a nationwide curfew for the next 21 days.
Beginning Monday evening, residents are ordered to stay inside their homes from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m., according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Excluded from the 11-hour-long curfew are employees in certain industries, including food service, health care and the media.
Violators will be punished with a 10,000-riyal ($2,662) fine, and with jail time after multiple violations. The Ministry of Interior said it will take the necessary steps to enforce the new regulations.
The move comes as the country’s Health Ministry announced 51 new patients on Monday, bringing the total number of known cases in the country to 562. Of the confirmed cases, 33% are due to people coming into direct contact with infected individuals, according to the Foreign Ministry.
