Gulf moves to contain virus, more African states report cases

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia said Saturday it would suspend international flights for two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Gulf nations have been scrambling to contain the pandemic, which has spread to more than 100 countries and infected more than 130,000 people.

Of special concern is nearby Iran, which said on Saturday that the coronavirus has claimed 97 more lives, raising the country's total to 611, as the number of confirmed cases jumped again. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said that "1,365 fresh cases have been added to the number of confirmed infections in the past 24 hours", bringing the total to 12,729.

The Saudi move to suspend international travel came as countries around the world continued to close borders, impose strict entry and quarantine requirements and restrict large gatherings in efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

"The kingdom's government decided to suspend international flights for two weeks (starting from Sunday March 15th) as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of #CoronaVirus," the foreign ministry tweeted.

The halt applies to all but "exceptional cases," the official Saudi Press Agency said, quoting an official source in the interior ministry.

Citizens and expatriates who are unable to return due to the suspension or who go into quarantine after returning will be granted an "exceptional official holiday," it added.

Saudi Arabia has recorded 86 cases of the virus so far, but no deaths, according to the health ministry.

The kingdom had already halted flights to some countries and closed schools and universities as part of measures to contain the disease.

Authorities have also suspended the "umrah" year-round pilgrimage to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina for fear of the virus spreading.

In the United Arab Emirates, health officials ordered the elderly to stay home because of the coronavirus outbreak and authorities said some federal employees could begin working from home for two weeks starting Sunday.

Both the UAE and Qatar also announced restrictions on visas. The UAE will suspend visa issuance starting March 17, the official news agency WAM reported, citing immigration authorities, adding that foreign diplomats would be exempted.

Qatar will on Sunday stop issuing visas on arrival to several European nationalities, the government communication office said.

Growing concerns in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Europe has become the pandemic's current epicentre after reporting more cases and deaths than the rest of world combined, apart from China where the coronavirus originated last December.

Travel bans have hammered airlines and travel companies worldwide, while financial markets have been hit by panic selling this week.

Africa had until now largely been spared the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has infected at least 135,000 people and killed around 5,000 worldwide.

Most of Africa's reported cases were foreigners or people who had travelled abroad. Rapid testing and quarantines have been put in place to limit transmission. But concerns are growing about the continent's ability to handle the disease.

Cases have been reported in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Among those confirming first cases on Friday, Kenya is the richest economy in East Africa and a hub for global companies and the United Nations, while Ethiopia is Africa's second-most populous nation, with 109 million people. Addis Ababa and Nairobi are regional transit hubs.

Mauritania's health ministry said late on Friday that its first coronavirus patient is a European man - nationality not specified - who had returned to Nouakchott on March 9 and had since been in quarantine.

Sudan's first confirmed coronavirus case was a man who died on Thursday in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, the Health Ministry said. He had visited the United Arab Emirates in the first week of March.

Morocco's foreign ministry meanwhile announced a suspension of flights to and from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.