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. 2020 Sep-Oct:37:101692.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101692. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

COVID-19 social distancing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Bold measures in the face of political, economic, social and religious challenges

Saber Yezli  1 , Anas Khan  2
Affiliations

COVID-19 social distancing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Bold measures in the face of political, economic, social and religious challenges

Saber Yezli et al. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2020 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Social distancing at its various levels has been a key measure to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. The implementation of strict measures for social distancing is challenging, including in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) due to its level of urbanization, its social and religious norms and its annual hosting of high visibility international religious mass gatherings. KSA started introducing decisive social distancing measures early before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Kingdom. These ranged from suspension or cancelations of religious, entertainment and sporting mass gatherings and events such as the Umrah, temporary closure of educational establishments and mosques and postponing all non-essential gatherings, to imposing a curfew. These measures were taken in spite of their socio-economic, political and religious challenges in the interest of public and global health. The effect of these actions on the epidemic curve of the Kingdom and on the global fight against COVID-19 remains to be seen. However, given the current COVID-19 situation, further bold and probably unpopular measures are likely to be introduced in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemic; Public health; Saudi Arabia; Social distancing.

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Conflict of interest statement

None to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Cumulative and daily cases of COVID-19 and key social distancing interventions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as of the 26th of March 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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