Saudi Arabia Imposes Nationwide 24-Hour Curfew For Eid Holiday, Coronavirus Hotspot Mecca Under Total Lockdown

Saudi Arabia will enforce a kingdomwide 24-hour curfew during the five-day Islamic holiday season of Eid al-Fitr holiday in a bid to contain stem the spread of the coronavirus, the interior ministry announced on Tuesday (May 12).

The Ministry of Interior said the 24-hour lockdown will be imposed for five days, starting from May 23 to May 27, and is in line with the directives of King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz. During the lockdown, people have been directed to abide by social distancing and gatherings are banned for more than five people

For the period from Thursday (May 14) until Friday ( May 22) , commercial and business enterprises will be allowed to operate and people can move freely between 9 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and 5 p.m. However the city of Mecca, which Muslims consider a holy spot, will remains under a full curfew.

The daytime curfew will continue in Mecca. Entry to and exit from the cities, regions and neighbourhoods, which are under lockdown, will continue during the period from May 14 to 22.

Saudi Arabia had earlier imposed stringent 24-hour curfews on most towns and cities but eased them for the start of Ramadan.

The kingdom has so far recorded 42,925 cases of the COVID-19 respiratory disease and 264 deaths.