Residentsin Saudi Arabia are banned from entering or exiting the Jeddah governorate asof Sunday in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus,according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior.
A recently imposed curfew will also begin at 3 p.m. insteadof 7 p.m. in the governorate, said the statement from the ministry on Twitter,Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
The measures are the latest restrictions on movement in SaudiArabia amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Custodian of the Two HolyMopsques King Salman approved measures last week that banned residents inthe Kingdom's 13 regions from traveling between different areas.
Riyadh, Makkah and Madinah were also placed on lockdown as ofThursday, and curfew times were brought forward to also begin at 3 p.m. insteadof 7 p.m.
The curfew exemptions still apply to those in vital publicand private sectors such as security, military and media, according to SPA.Those who work in health services are also excluded from the curfew.
Malls and parks were shut down earlier this month in aneffort to slow the spread of the deadly virus. Meanwhile, restaurants and cafeswere banned from serving food and beverages on their premises.
Workplace attendance has also been indefinitely suspended atmost private sector and government agencies, except for health, security, andmilitary sectors.
