Saudi Arabia closes all international borders for one week
Air, land and sea borders have been closed for one week…
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has closed all international borders for one week (renewable for another week), as concerns grow over a new Covid-19 strain, according to an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Interior.
The ban applies to all international flights, as well and land borders and sea ports. “These procedures will be reviewed in light of the developments related to the pandemic, and what is received from the Ministry of Health,” the source said in a statement. Foreign flights that are currently in Saudi territory will be allowed to leave.
Saudi Arabia is among a growing list of countries that have imposed new travel restrictions and suspended flights from and to Britain, as a new strain of Covid-19 has been detected in the UK.
Precautionary measures in Saudi Arabia
The statement read, “Based on what the Ministry of Health raised about the spread of a new mutated type of the COVID-19 in a number of countries, until medical information about the nature of this virus becomes clear, and a desire to take urgent measures to protect public health of citizens and residents and ensuring their safety, the Kingdom’s government has decided to take the following precautionary measures:”
1. Suspending all international flights for travellers – except in exceptional cases – for one week, which can be extended for another week, with the exception of foreign flights that are currently in the Kingdom’s territory.
2. Suspending entry to the Kingdom through land and sea ports for one week, which may be extended for another week.
3. Everyone who returned from one of the European countries or any country where the epidemic appeared, as determined by the Ministry of Health as of December 8 and to that date, must adhere to home isolation for two weeks, starting from the date they arrived in the Kingdom. They must also undergo a Covid-19 examination during the isolation period, with a repeat examination every five days.
4. Anyone who returned from or passed through a European country or any country where the epidemic appeared during the past three months must undergo a test for the coronavirus.