Saudi Arabian Authorities Publish Proposals For Lifting Lockdown By June 21 - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2020) Officials in Saudi Arabia have published proposals to begin easing lockdown measures gradually from Thursday until June 21, when curfews put into place to curb the spread of COVID-19 will be lifted in almost all cities, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said on Tuesday, citing sources in the Interior Ministry.

From Thursday until Saturday, a curfew will be in force in all Saudi cities, except for Mecca, from 15:00-06:00 local time [12:00-03:00 GMT]. From Sunday, these hours will change from 20:00-06:00 local time [17:00-03:00 GMT], the sources told the agency.

All cities except Mecca will have their curfews lifted on June 21, the agency reported.

During the non-curfew hours, retail stores and malls will be allowed to reopen.

From Sunday, Saudi mosques will resume Friday prayers, a large number of public and private businesses will be allowed to resume activities, and the government will also lift the ban on domestic flights and interregional travel by any means of transport, the agency stated.

Businesses that cannot ensure social distancing, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, will remain closed for the time being, the agency said.

On Monday, the Saudi Ministry of Health confirmed 2,235 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, a slight decrease from the 2,399 new cases reported the day before. The case total currently stands at 74,795, with 399 deaths and 45,668 discharges.