Saudi Arabia suspended late on Sunday all international commercial flights for a renewable week except for the foreign flights already in the kingdom which will be allowed to leave, according to reports.
The variant, detected in England, is up to 70 percent more transmissible than earlier versions, officials said. People in southeast England, where the strain has been detected, including London, were told to stay at home. Authorities do not know if the newly detected strain of the virus is more deadly.
Dr. Tawfig Al-Rabiah, Saudi Minister of Health.
As the New York Times reports, the announcement of the new variant and subsequent travel shutdown “was reminiscent of the early frenzied days of the pandemic, when international travel ground to a halt. While most countries directed their restrictions on Britain, Saudi Arabia went even further in trying to halt the variant from gaining traction, announcing a one week ban on all international travel, according to the Saudi Press Agency.”
The Kingdom has been a global leader in taking proactive steps to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, including cancelling the annual Hajj pilgrimage earlier this year and putting in place strict rules for individuals and businesses. As a result, Saudi Arabia has performed well globally in combating the virus, declaring victory earlier this month as it began rolling out vaccines to its citizens.
According to Reuters, neighboring Kuwait will suspend all commercial flights and close its land and sea borders from 11 p.m. on Monday until Jan. 1, the government communications office said. Cargo operations will continue, it added. In Oman, land, air and sea borders will be shut for one week starting Tuesday, state television reported.
Some U.S. officials are calling for the same action that Saudi Arabia has now taken, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urging a temporary stop to foreign flights.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the U.S. government to take steps to prevent the new strain entering the country, which has been worst hit by COVID-19 with almost 318,000 deaths.
“It’s high time the federal government takes swift action, because today that variant is getting on a plane and landing in JFK, and all it takes is one person,” he said, according to Reuters.
