Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Saturday suspended the entry for citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and three other countries, due to concerns related to the COVID-19 and the spread of a new mutated strain of the virus, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a statement from the country’s ministry of interior.
The countries that have been banned by Saudi Arabia are UAE, Ethiopia, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
The suspension of flights to and from these countries will be effective from Sunday, July 4, at 11 p.m., the ministry said.
Saudi citizens are allowed to visit these countries only after getting a permit from the Kingdom’s authorities, SPA stated.
There will be an institutional quarantine for all passengers, whether they are citizens or foreigners coming from these countries after July 4. Citizens who intend to return before the date will be exempted from institutional quarantine.
The highly contagious delta variant, first identified in India, has become most prevalent in many countries, including Vietnam where most new cases are associated with it.
On March 11, 2020, World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. More than 183.01 million people have been infected with the COVID-19 worldwide, with more than 3.96 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Saudi Arabia on Friday has confirmed more than 490,000 COVID-19 cases so far, with over 7,800 fatalities.