Saudi Arabia closes all borders over new COVID-19 strain fears

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RIYADH, Dec 20: Saudi Arabia will shut its air, land and sea borders and halt international flights for a week, pending a possible extension, to prevent importing a new strain of the coronavirus, an interior ministry source said on Sunday.

The precautionary measure aims to protect public health amid growing concerns over a new coronavirus variant that has emerged in some countries, according to the source.

Other measures include imposing a compulsory two-week quarantine on people returning from European countries and other “risky” regions, requiring them to undergo a COVID-19 test every five days during the self-isolation period, added the source.

Cargo and emergency evacuation flights have been exempted from the flight ban, revealed the source, adding that these measures will be reevaluated based on health ministry recommendations and the latest pandemic updates(KUNA)

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