Saudi Arabia extends coronavirus curfew indefinitely

Saudi Arabia's King Salman extended a national curfew until further notice because of the spread of the new coronavirus, the inside ministry said on Sunday, after the kingdom listed over 300 new infections on each of the last four days.

Last week Saudi Arabia placed its capital Riyadh and other big cities under a 24-hour curfew, locking down much of the population to stem the spread of the virus.

Hence, the curfew which began on March 23 runs from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The country of some 30 million has recorded 4,033 infections with 52 deaths, the highest among the six Gulf Arab states where the overall count has surpassed 13,200 with 88 deaths despite strict measures to curb transmissions.

The kingdom has suspended international flights, delayed the year-round Umrah pilgrimage, and closed most public places. Other Gulf states have taken similar precautions.

The interior ministry said all precautionary steps across Saudi Arabia's 13 regions remain in place.

The eastern Qatif region, where its first coronavirus cases were recorded among Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims arriving from Iran, has been sealed since March 8.

The United Arab Emirates, the region's tourism and business hub, has the second-highest tally at 3,736 cases with 20 deaths.

Several Gulf Arab states have seen the virus spread among low-wage foreign workers, many of whom board overcrowded accommodations.

Qatar has locked down an extensive section of an industrial area, Dubai has sealed two commercial districts with a huge population of migrant workers, and Oman has closed off its Muscat governorate, which has the capital.

Millions of migrant workers, mainly from Asian countries, including Nepal, India and therefore the Philippines, are among the region's large expatriate population.

India's ambassador to the UAE told local English-language daily Gulf News on Saturday that the Indian government cannot repatriate a large number of its nationals while trying to interrupt the chain of infection reaction.

"At this stage, we feel that it's best for them (Indians wishing to return home) to remain where they're," Pavan Kapoor was quoted as saying. "Once the lockdown in India is lifted, we are going to certainly help them come back to their home towns and their families."