In light of the spread of the fatal Corona virus in most countries of the world coming from China, and the seriousness that it targets most of human communities, most countries that witness gatherings of people from time to time have taken precautionary measures to prevent the virus from reaching anyone.
It is well known that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosts Al-Rahman guests during the year-long Umrah season and the annual Hajj season. Therefore, the Saudi government has taken a decision to temporarily suspend entry into the Kingdom for the purposes of Umrah and Tourism.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on “Twitter”, today, Thursday, that the Kingdom decided to temporarily suspend entry for the purposes of Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque amid fears of the spread of the Corona virus emerging.
She added that the Kingdom has also decided to suspend entry of tourist visas for those coming from countries where the Coronavirus poses a threat.
The Ministry also announced the suspension of the use of national identity cards by Saudis and citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to travel to and from the Kingdom. With the exception of the Saudis who are abroad, if they leave the Kingdom on the national identity card.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that it calls on the citizens of the Kingdom not to travel to countries that are experiencing the spread of the Corona virus.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed that these procedures are temporary, and are subject to continuous evaluation by the competent authorities.
On the other hand, the Kingdom of Bahrain suspended flights to and from Lebanon and Iraq until further notice. The Department of Civil Aviation Affairs in Bahrain announced yesterday, Wednesday, the extension of the suspension of flights arriving and departing Dubai International Airport for another 48 hours.
The Ministry of Health in Bahrain announced yesterday that the country had detected seven new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 33.
In Iraq, the Iraqi Minister of Health said yesterday that Iraq has banned all public gatherings and prevented travelers from Kuwait and Bahrain from entering the country, bringing the number of countries that have been put on the list of preventing entry to nine in light of the growing fears of the spread of Corona virus.
Minister Jaafar Allawi said in a statement – according to Reuters news agency – that citizens were also prevented from traveling to the nine countries, namely China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Italy, Bahrain and Kuwait..
Allawi also ordered the suspension of studies in schools and universities and the closure of cinemas, cafes, clubs and social forums from February 27 to March 7..
Concerns about the spread of the virus come at a time when Iraq is facing an internal crisis, with about 500 people killed since the start of mass demonstrations against the government in the first of October.
Allawi, who heads the government task force responsible for dealing with the virus, said that all public gatherings for any reason are prohibited and that the relevant authorities must take all measures to enforce this.
In Lebanon, the Ministry of Health said that a second case of coronavirus infection was detected in the country and said that the patient was quarantined after returning from a religious trip to Iran.
The Lebanese government decided on Tuesday, “to control air traffic and stop religious flights with the country that is experiencing an outbreak of Corona virus.”“.
In Iran, the Ministry of Health reported yesterday, that the number of new cases of Corona virus reached 139 cases and deaths reached 19 cases, to become the largest country to witness the number of deaths due to the disease outside of China, which emerged late last year.
In Kuwait, the number of people infected with the Coronavirus has risen to 26, after a new infection was recorded, the official news agency reported on Wednesday.
Kuwait Airways said in a statement on Twitter yesterday that it will send a plane to Milan, Italy, to evacuate the Kuwaitis due to fears of the Corona virus..
For his part, said Hans Cluj, Regional Director of the World Health Organization in Europe, yesterday, that the number of registered cases of the virus jumped to 80 thousand and 988 cases in 33 countries.
“There is no reason to panic,” he told a news conference in Rome, noting that the death rate is about two percent and currently one percent is in China, which has 96.5 percent of cases worldwide..
“Keep in mind that four out of five patients develop mild symptoms and recover“.
On the other hand, oil prices fell to their lowest levels in more than a year yesterday, Wednesday, after the announcement of hundreds of new cases of Corona virus in Europe and the Middle East, which fueled fears of low energy demand, as well as concerns about the spread of the virus throughout the United States.
The settlement price for Brent crude was set at $ 53.43 a barrel, down $ 1.52, or 2.77 percent, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude closed at $ 48.73 a barrel, down $ 1.17 or 2.34 percent.
With the spread of the disease in the Middle East, many Arab countries suspended certain flights and imposed restrictions on shipping.
– .
