Across the Middle East, efforts to stop the coronavirus were shaking up daily life, with countries restricting travel, postponing elections and even shutting down large parts of society. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced wide-reaching measures on Saturday evening, shortly after the country reported a jump of 50 cases within 24 hours, reaching 193 in total. All recreational activities will stopped from Sunday, Netanyahu said, and all schools, universities and kindergartens will be closed. He added that essential services like banks would, however, stay open.
Syria said on Saturday that it is postponing its parliamentary elections by one month, to May 20, as part of precautionary measures taken in light of the coronavirus outbreak, while other Arab countries also took more precautionary measures.
Syrian President Bashar al Assad has issued a decree delaying the vote, which was set for April 13, official Sana news agency reported. While the Syrian government has not reported any coronavirus cases, the precautionary measures are designed to prevent a possible spread of the virus. The country decided on Friday to close all educational institutions for three weeks.
In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah al Sissi ordered the closure of schools and universities for two weeks as of Sunday as part of the state’s comprehensive plan to deal with coronavirus repercussions.
He also allocated 100 billion pounds ($6.3 billion) to fund the plan, including its precautionary measures, presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement.
In the Gulf, Saudi Arabia on Saturday reported 17 new cases of the virus, raising the total number to 103.
The kingdom said it would suspend all international flights for two weeks as countries across the Gulf step up precautions against the spread.
“This (will be) an exceptional official holiday for citizens and expatriates who were unable to return due to the suspension of flights or they were in quarantine after their return back to the Kingdom,” the source said.
The announcement comes two days after Saudi Arabia introduced new travel restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus and after the World Health Organization (WHO) said the outbreak had reached the level of a global pandemic.
Last Thursday, Saudi Arabia expanded its travel bans, halting travel to and from all European Union countries and Switzerland. The decision affects 11 other countries in Asia and Africa, including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.
The Saudi Sports Ministry also told SPA that it is suspending all sporting activities and shutting private sports centres until further notice in a new precaution against the spread of the virus. Saudi Arabia has already halted the Umrah pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca amid fears of an outbreak.
Millions of Muslims worldwide travel to Saudi Arabia every year to perform the Umrah, the minor pilgrimage that can be undertaken at anytime during the year.
Elsewhere in the Gulf region, more infections have been reported, prompting further measures.
Qatar on Saturday recorded 17 more cases, raising the total number to 337, according to the emirate’s official news agency QNA.
Kuwait’s Health Ministry meanwhile confirmed four more cases, bringing the overall tally in the oil-rich emirate to 104.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the capital, Abu Dhabi, announced temporary closures of all main tourist and cultural sites due to public health concerns. “Abu Dhabi’s main tourist attractions, theme parks and cultural destinations will be temporarily closed from March 15 to 31 to limit large gatherings and protect public health in response to COVID-19,” the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office tweeted. — DPA
Ramadan Al Fatash & Amr Mostafa
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