Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has suspended all recreational events in the Kingdom for the next 10 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Saudi Press Agency reported early Thursday citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.

The move, which will be effective from 10 p.m. on Thursday (Feb.4), has been taken as part of preventive and precautionary measures to preserve public health and prevent the outbreak of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the Kingdom that has hit some countries of the world, the source added.

According to the source, the activities, which have been suspended, are the following:

1. Suspension of all events and parties, including weddings, corporate meetings, and the like, in banquet halls and independent wedding halls or affiliated with hotels, as well as in rental rest houses and camps that are used for those purposes, for a period of 30 days that may be extended.

2. The maximum number of gatherings in social events shall not exceed 20 persons for a period of 10 days that may be extended.

3. Suspension of all entertainment activities and events for a period of 10 days that may be extended.

4. Closing down cinemas, indoor entertainment centers, independent indoor games places or in restaurants, shopping malls, gyms, and sports centers, for a period of 10 days that may be extended.

5. Suspension of the provision of dining services in restaurants, cafes, and the like, and limiting it to providing take away services for a period of 10 days, that may be extended, without allowing any gathering that results from those external requests.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing will close the establishment that violates this for a period of 24 hours, and 48 hours if the violation is repeated for the first time, one week if the violation is repeated for the second time, two weeks if the violation is repeated for the third time, and one month if the violation is repeated for the fourth time and more, without prejudice to the application of any other prescribed penalty for those violations.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia suspended the entry of non-citizens coming from 20 countries into the Kingdom.