Saudi Arabia has suspended entry from 20 countries, including Pakistan in an effort to control the coronavirus outbreak, local media reported.

The temporary ban will be effective from February 3 (today). The list includes countries like Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the United States of America, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Egypt, India, and Japan.

However, the Saudi authorities have made an exception for diplomats, Saudi citizens, medical practitioners and their families. who will be coming from the above mentioned countries.

Meanwhile the authorities have also postponed lifting the Kingdom’s travel ban on its citizens from March 31 to May 17.

“The Kingdom wants to ensure that the majority of the public are immunised against the coronavirus before lifting the ban and reopening borders,” the interior ministry as quoted by Saudi news agency Al Arabiya.

These developments are the consequences of emerging threats from new strains of the coronavirus reported in various countries.