Saudi Arabia closes malls, parks and cafes

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia ordered the closure on Sunday of malls, restaurants, coffee shops and public parks and gardens, while exempting supermarkets, pharmacies and food delivery, in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Several local municipalities tweeted the directives, which Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said would apply across the country, where 103 infections but no deaths have been reported. The orders appeared to go into effect immediately.

A diner in Riyadh said the restaurant she had been sitting in shuttered about 45 minutes before the announcement was made.

Meanwhile, Jordan confirmed six new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, including four French tourists and two Jordanians, the minister of health said.

The country had previously reported only one case of the virus. It imposed measures on Saturday to fight the outbreak, including a tighter lockdown that closes all borders and bans all incoming and outgoing flights as of Tuesday.

Jordanian officials say the unprecedented measures, which also include closing schools and banning daily prayers in mosques were taken as the epidemic is spreading fast in neighouring Egypt, Syria and Iraq.

The government has kept borders open for commercial cargo and has assured people who were hoarding food that the country has a stockpile of commodities and essential goods that would last six months.

Dalia Samhouri, a senior regional official with the World Health Organization, said both Iran and Egypt, two of the most populous countries in the Middle East, were likely underreporting cases because of the nature of the virus, which can be spread by individuals who show no visible symptoms. Egypt has reported 110 cases, including two fatalities.

“We can easily say that the current figures are an underestimation of the actual figures,” she said.

The Un-recognised government in divided and war-torn Libya has said it will close from Monday land borders under its control in the west to keep out the coronavirus.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) said air links would also be suspended, even if to date no cases of the COVID-19 illness have been reported by it or by a rival administration based in the country’s east.

GNA head Fayez Al Sarraj made the announcement late Saturday as he declared “a state of emergency and mobilisation (to confront) the quick spread of coronavirus.”

“All land borders and air space will be closed for three weeks starting from Monday,” he said.

The move will affect the border with Tunisia and the suspension of flights from the city of Misrata, both in the west.