In pictures: GCC states bring in new measures to combat COVID-19 surge

People spend time at a mall near a closed food court in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after new rules laid out by the Ministry of Interior to curb a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Saudi Arabia has extended by 20 days restrictions on entertainment activities, gatherings and dine-in restaurant services to curb the spread of coronavirus, state news agency SPA said on Sunday, citing an interior ministry statement.

Kuwait banned the entry of non-Kuwaitis to the country for two weeks starting on February 7, to prevent the spread of coronavirus. | Above: Police officers enforce the early closure of shops at a shopping mall following government-imposed COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic restrictions in Kuwait City.

A medical worker collects a swab sample from a passenger for an RT-PCR coronavirus test at the Muscat international airport in the Omani capital. Oman has imposed a mandatory institutional quarantine for those arriving into the country starting from February 15, 12 pm. The decision comes in the wake of the increasing number of COVID–19 cases in Oman.

A volunteer disinfects a bed in Alnoaim village, a suburb of the Bahraini capital, Manama. Bahrain has been reporting an upward trend in the daily COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks.

People gather on a boat in Doha, Qatar. Qatar has referred violators of social distancing to prosecution for the first time as the country is seeking to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Qatari Interior Ministry has said hundreds of people have been sent to prosecution for infringing coronavirus rules including 16 who did not observe social distancing, Al Sharq newspaper reported.

Policemen enforce the early closure of shops at a shopping mall in accordance with government-imposed COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic restrictions in Kuwait City.

Saudi health worker Wedad Modaifn, collects a swab sample for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at drive-through testing center, at King Abdulaziz University in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia banned expatriates from 20 countries from traveling to the Kingdom to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

People queue as they arrive to receive a dose of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at the make-shift vaccination centre erected at the Kuwait International Fairground, in the Mishref suburb south of Kuwait City.

Kuwaitis arrive to get the COVID-19 vaccine at al-Masayel new vaccination centre in Kuwait City.

People walk past a closed restaurant in the Saudi capital Riyadh,after new rules laid out by the Ministry of Interior to curb a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. A total of 58 businesses have been closed while 93 others were fined for breaching precautionary and preventive measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19, Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province municipality has announced. The closures came as part of 1,438 field inspection tours to monitor anti-coronavirus precautionary measures.

A man registers before receiving a dose of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at the make-shift vaccination centre erected at the Kuwait International Fairground, in the Mishref suburb south of Kuwait City.

Workers of Kuwait's health ministry transport a crate containing a shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doses upon its arrival in Kuwait City.