Since the Corona virus scare, the Saudi government has taken swift measures to ensure the safety of the citizens. There is a huge difference in the way Saudi Arabia has handled this crisis compared to America.
These are some of the measures taken by the Saudi government -
Before the end of February, religious pilgrims were prohibited until further notice from coming into the country, before any cases of the virus were confirmed within the country.
All international flights were ceased , followed by domestic flights and other forms of domestic travel shortly thereafter.
Schools have been closed until next fall, with virtual instruction being implemented at the moment.
The only businesses allowed open are pharmacies, groceries, and gas stations.
Restaurants are available for take out or delivery only.
A curfew has taken effect, with no one allowed out from 7pm to 6am and violators will be charged a fine of 10,000 Saudi Riyals.
Mosques are closed, with the Calls to Prayer telling people instead to pray at home! (This is unprecedented, as far as I have been told.)
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| These boxes on the Red Sea house prayer rugs |
Kudos to Saudi Arabia for putting the health of its citizens first, ahead of the economy.
5 comments:
Thank you for compiling this info for us!
I do wonder about the businesses being closed and requiring people to work from home, though. My husband is the regional sales manager for a food and beverage distribution company here in the EP (it's headquartered in South Africa with their main MENA office in Dubai) and is still required to go to the office every day, even though what he does can easily be done from a home office. If he's having to go in, I have a feeling many others are as well, which sadly is not going to help reduce the spread. I live with fear and anxiety every time he leaves and comes home. We have two young kids at home, one who was just discharged after two weeks in the ICU less than 12 days ago. I feel quite frustrated that these measures are being ignored by otherwise reputable companies.
I understand your concerns. Today we actually went out to grocery shop, and I was surprised that there were a lot more businesses open and people out and about than the only other time we went grocery shopping during the three weeks that my husband and I have been staying in and self isolating because we are both high risk because of our age. Most people we saw wore face masks and gloves.
It's all quite frightening but I know all we can do is take as many protective measures as possible then trust the rest to God. Stay safe, stay healthy!
I have wondered if it might affect the pilgrimages.
I hope the swift response to limit people's interactions flattens the curve. Here, I basically feel safe because I'm in the middle of nowhere with limited interaction. Be safe and well my friend.
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