Prognosis
Saudi Arabia Puts 24-Hour Lockdown on Big Cities to Curb Virus
- Government orders all non-essential businesses to shut
- Saudi economy facing double crisis from oil crash and pandemic
The coronavirus disease operations room of the Saudi Red Crescent in Riyadh, on April 6.
Photographer: Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour lockdown on residents in all of its major cities Monday and ordered non-essential businesses to shut until further notice in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The curfew will apply in the capital of Riyadh as well as the cities of Jeddah, Dammam, Dhahran, Tabuk, Hofuf, Taif, Al Qatif and Khobar, the interior ministry said in a statement published on the official Saudi Press Agency. All commercial enterprises other than pharmacies, medical centers, groceries and a handful of other essential services must close, the ministry said.