More than five million illegally stored protective masks have been seized in recent days by Saudi authorities, the country's official agency, the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic among Arab Gulf states, reported on Sunday.
"The Ministry of Commerce seized (nearly) 1.17 million medical masks in the region of Hail (north), stored for the purpose of being sold later," according to the agency SPA. The masks will be redistributed on the market and "legal measures have been taken against the offenders," added SPA. This announcement comes after the seizure on Wednesday of more than four million medical masks stored in Jeddah (west), "in violation of commercial regulations", according to the same source.
National curfew and limited travel
On Sunday, the Saudi Ministry of Health announced four new deaths from Covid-19 disease in the country, bringing the death toll to eight. In total, nearly 1,300 cases of infection with the new coronavirus have been reported, making Saudi Arabia the most affected country in the Gulf, after Iran.
The kingdom instituted a partial national curfew, prevented movement between the provinces and prohibited the entry and exit of the capital Ryad as well as the two holy cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. "The strenuous efforts in this difficult period can only be done by uniting our forces, through cooperation," warned King Salman during a speech on March 20.
In total, more than 3,200 cases of infection with the new coronavirus have been recorded and 15 people have succumbed to Covid-19 disease in the six Arab countries of the Gulf: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
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