Riyadh
Saudi Arabia will end a nationwide curfew and lift restrictions on businesses from Sunday morning after three months of lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, state news agency SPA quoted a source in the interior ministry as saying on Saturday.
The curfew will be lifted as of 6am local time on Sunday. Restrictions will remain, however, for religious pilgrimages, international travel and social gatherings of more than 50 people.
The kingdom introduced stringent measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in March, including 24-hour curfews on most towns and cities.
In May, it announced a three-phase plan to ease restrictions on movement and travel, culminating in the curfew completely ending on June 21.
Saudi Arabia, from Sunday, aims to reopen mosques in Makkah after a three months closure due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, state television reported.
“The mosques in the holy city will begin to reopen their doors to the faithful on Sunday after three months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel reported, citing a decision by the Islamic affairs ministry.
Some 1,500 holy sites are preparing to welcome visitors, the channel reported, showing footage of workers disinfecting floors and carpets.
While the Hajj is set to be held in late July, authorities are yet to announce if it will go ahead or be cancelled. Outside Makkah, mosques elsewhere in the country reopened at the end of May.— Agencies
