Saudi Arabia has extended the ban on the entry of Umrah pilgrims and tourists hailing from coronavirus hit countries including Pakistan till 31st March.
Considering the ongoing situation following the global outbreak of Coronavirus, people seeking to perform Umrah or looking to visit the country on a tourist visa will not be allowed to enter the Kingdom till March 31st.
In this regard, the government has also directed Saudi Airlines to cancel the reservations of all Umrah and tourist visa passengers and compensate them. Saudi Airlines will now refund the entire ticket amount to all passengers and no penalties will be applied. Passengers are also advised not to make their way to the airports to embark on a journey to the Kingdom to avoid any inconvenience. Besides Pakistan, the ban applies to countries like China, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, and several others. How to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus?
Wash your hands frequently
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority. Also read: Sindh cabinet has approved Rs100m to procure 5,000 coronavirus testing kits