Saudi Arabia and Spain Ban Entry to Travelers Coming From Brazil and Other Nations

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, February 2nd, Saudi Arabia banned travelers from 20 countries, including the United States, Brazil and Argentina, from entering its territory in an attempt to contain the surge in Covid-19 infections.

The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced that the temporary suspension would come into force on Wednesday at 6 PM (3 PM Brasília time). There are no direct flights between Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

The countries restricted are South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, United States, France, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

Saudi citizens, as well as diplomats and healthcare professionals from these countries will be allowed to enter the Arab kingdom, but “within the framework of preventive measures” as recommended by health authorities, the Ministry said.

On Sunday, Health Minister Tawfiq al Rabiah warned that new restrictions would be enforced should the population fail to comply with those currently in force.

Saudi Arabia has recorded over 368,000 cases and 6,400 deaths from Covid-19. It is the most populous Arab country in the Gulf (34 million inhabitants) and the most afflicted by the pandemic.

Spain restricts flights from Brazil and South Africa

Also on Tuesday, Spain announced restrictions on the entry of people coming from Brazil. Earlier, other countries had taken similar measures, particularly after the detection of the Brazilian coronavirus strain, first detected in Manaus. The list of other countries follows:

Italy – since January 16th
Turkey – since January 22nd
Israel – since January 26th (all international flights)
Portugal – since January 27th
Colombia – since January 27th
France – since January 29th (travelers from outside the European Union)
Germany – since January 30th
Spain – starting February 3rd
Saudi Arabia – starting February 3rd

Source: G1