Saudis Halt Some Travel; Mideast Virus Cases at 7,000

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Saudi Arabia suspended travel to nine countries and closed schools indefinitely in an unprecedented move to curb the spread of the coronavirus. There are about 7,000 confirmed cases in the Middle East.

Saudi halted destinations:

  • United Arab Emirates
  • Kuwait
  • Bahrain
  • Egypt
  • Lebanon
  • Syria
  • Iraq
  • Italy
  • South Korea

Oman is now the only Gulf country the kingdom operates flights to and from.

Emirates, which gets 60% of its Middle East revenue from Saudi Arabia, halted flights to the country until March 11. The world’s largest long-haul carrier flies 84 times a week to Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom was Dubai’s second-biggest source of tourists last year, with more than 1.5 million visitors.

Saudi Arabia also put Al Qatif, the city in the kingdom at the center of the virus, under lock-down.

Saudi Arabia Puts City in Eastern Province Under Virus Lock-down

Qatar is also banning the entry of those coming from several countries, including China, India and Iran, according to a tweet from Qatar News Agency.

In Egypt, a German man died of the virus, making it the first death on the African continent linked to Covid-19.

    New Developments:

    • Qatar called on its citizens and residents to avoid all but essential travel.
    • Guests at Luxor hotels in Egypt won’t be allowed to leave until they undergo a medical exam, Al Arabiya reported.

    Mideast, North Africa Breakdown:

    • Iran: 6,566 cases, including 194 deaths
    • Bahrain: 85
    • Kuwait: 65
    • Iraq: 61, including 6 deaths
    • Egypt: 55, including 1 death
    • U.A.E.: 45
    • Lebanon: 32
    • Israel: 25
    • Algeria: 20
    • Palestine: 19
    • Oman: 16
    • Saudi Arabia: 15
    • Qatar: 15
    • Morocco: 2
    • Tunisia: 2
    • Jordan: 1

    Nations Seek to Ease Economic Hit; Deaths at 3,800: Virus Update

    Read more:

    • Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World
    • Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here.

    — With assistance by Layan Odeh

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