Saudi Arabia on Thursday suspended foreigners' entry for Umrah and tourism from countries where the new coronavirus has spread, as a growing number of cases outside China deepened fears of a pandemic. The ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that the suspensions were temporary but provided no timeframe for their expiry. It was unclear if Hajj, which is scheduled to begin in late July, would be impacted. #Statement | Proactive Preventive Measures to Prevent the Arrival of the New Coronavirus (#COVID19) to the Kingdom pic.twitter.com/fuBAWq19Du — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 26, 2020 Saudi Arabia has had no cases of the coronavirus but it has been spreading in some neighboring countries. The ministry did not specify people from which countries would be impacted but said the kingdom's health authorities would determine where the outbreak constituted a danger. Entry is also suspended for visits to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
