By Ismaeel Naar

DUBAI -- Bahrain has suspended all prayers in mosques and prayer rooms starting with the Maghrib (sunset) prayers on Monday as part of the island kingdom’s measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement on Bahrain News Agency.

“The Sunni Endowments Administration announces the suspension of the establishment of congregational and Friday prayers in all mosques and prayer rooms affiliated with it, as of Maghrib prayer from today, Monday 28, until later notice,” the statement read.

The island kingdom has so far detected 177 cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus as of Monday, three of which are patients currently in critical condition. Bahrain has registered two deaths so far due to the outbreak.

Bahrain initially suspended only Friday prayers at mosques from last Friday, but the new ruling now applies to all prayers across all mosques. -- Al Arabiya English