Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant inside an airplane for New York as a precaution against the new coronavirus at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States on Tuesday, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of masks and other supplies for front-line doctors and nurses.
In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, Saudi Arabia on Monday suspended travel to and from nine countries including the UAE .Travel is also suspended to and from Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Italy, South Korea and Syria.
The decision is designed to stop the spread of coronavirus in the kingdom, The Gulf News reported quoting the official Saudi Press Agency as saying.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has announced that schools and universities in the kingdom are suspended in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The decision, to be enforced as of March 9, will continue till further notice, the Saudi Press Agency said, quoting a statement by the education ministry on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
The decision came one day after schools and universities were suspended in Qatif region over reported COVID-19 cases there. Saudi Arabia has so far registered 11 COVID-19 cases.
The ministry said virtual education programs would be activated to ensure students will not miss their studies.
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