COVID-19 strain: Saudi Arabia bans all international flights

Saudi Arabia has banned all international flights and closed its borders over fears about the fast-spreading new strain of COVID-19.

The closure will last one week, from today.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom may extend the suspension for another week depending on the nature of the virus spread.

The Saudi decision followed the U.K. warning that a new strain of the coronavirus is “out of control.”

This sent alarms around the EU nations, which promptly suspended flights, rail journeys from Britain.

United Arab Emirates-based Air Arabia PJSC said Monday it will halt flights from Morocco to the U.K. until further notice.

Saudi Arabia has reported about 361,010 cases of COVID-19 and 6,122 deaths.

It began lifting the lockdowns from May.

Officials had not imposed any new restrictions since then and the country has so far avoided another wave of infections.