RIYADH: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia ordered a curfew to curb the spread of the coronavirus, from 7 pm to 6 am for 21 days, state media has said.
The decision will take effect from Monday evening, March 23.
King Salman’s order followed an announcement by the Health Ministry of 119 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, raising the total number in the Kingdom to 511.
The order enjoins citizens and residents alike to stay in their homes during the curfew hours for their own safety.
The statement said the Ministry of Interior will undertake the necessary measures to implement the curfew, and all civil and military authorities are ordered to cooperate fully.
As of Sunday, the total number of cases since December 2019 has reached 324,291, including 14,396 deaths.
Italy’s world-topping toll from the pandemic approached 5,500 as the Mediterranean country reported another 651 deaths, a day after it overtook China for the highest number of fatalities.
(with inputs from Agencies)
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