Saudi Arabia closes malls, restaurants, cafes, parks over virus fears

Saudi Arabia on Sunday ordered closure of malls, restaurants, coffee shops and public parks and gardens amid coronavirus spreading its wings to every part of the country.

The kingdom however exempted supermarkets, pharmacies and food delivery.

In a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus, several local municipalities tweeted the directives, which Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said would apply across the country, where 103 infections but no deaths have been reported. The orders appeared to go into effect immediately. A diner in Riyadh said the restaurant she had been sitting in shuttered about 45 minutes before the announcement was made.