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HEALTH-VIRUS-SAUDI
Saudi Arabia imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew over coronavirus
RIYADH, March 23, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has announced
a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew from Monday in a bid to limit the spread of
the new coronavirus, the latest in a series of restrictions.
The curfew — from 7 pm until 6 am — will be imposed for 21 days, the
official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a royal order.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia on Sunday said the number of COVID-19
cases had jumped to 511, the highest in the Gulf. The kingdom has reported no
deaths so far.
Health sector employees as well as security and military officials will be
exempt from the curfew restrictions, the royal order said.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman warned on Thursday of a “more difficult” fight
ahead against the virus, as the kingdom faces the double blow of virus-led
shutdowns and crashing oil prices.
The Arab world’s biggest economy has shut down cinemas, malls and
restaurants, halted flights and suspended the year-round umrah pilgrimage as
it steps up efforts to contain the deadly virus.
Last week, the kingdom unveiled stimulus measures amounting to 120 Saudi
billion riyals ($32 billion) to support businesses and said it plans to raise
borrowing to 50 percent of GDP.
Saudi Arabia has also suspended prayers inside all its mosques except the
holiest two sites in Islam in Mecca and Medina, a sensitive move in the
deeply conservative Muslim kingdom.
The world’s top crude exporter faces plunging oil prices, the mainstay of
government revenue, which have slipped to around $25 a barrel to touch multi-
year lows on the back of sagging demand due to the virus and a price war with
Russia.
More than 1,300 coronavirus infections have been detected in the Gulf
region, with most cases initially identified among travellers returning from
Iran which is one of the world’s worst affected countries.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1228 hrs