Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia temporarily suspends international flights
Saudi Arabia will temporarily suspend all
international flights for two weeks starting from Sunday, March 15, in an
effort to combat the deadly coronavirus, the Ministry of Interior said on
Saturday.
Saudi Arabia early on Friday reported 24 new cases
of the virus, raising the total number of cases in the Kingdom to 86.
“The Kingdom’s government has decided to suspend
international flights for travelers – excluding exceptional cases – for a
period of two weeks,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited the ministry as
saying.
Saudi Arabia also declared an official holiday for
citizens and residents who have been unable to return to the Kingdom because of
the suspension of flights, or those who were quarantined upon their return to
the country.
The country has implemented several precautionary
measures since the outbreak of the virus, including halting flights to
coronavirus-hit nations, suspending tourist visas, and prohibiting all public
events.
