COVID-19: Gym shuttered in Mecca

Cairo: A gym has been shut down in the Saudi holy city of Mecca due to a suspected coronavirus case as the kingdom struggles to stem the highly contagious ailment.

Health teams in Mecca suspected that an employee in the fitness centre in the district of Al Shara had caught the virus. Consequently, municipal authorities ordered evacuation and closure of the site in line with related health protocols, a local source said.

All other employees in the gym underwent examinations to ensure they are virus-free while the centre will remain shut until its disinfection and sterilisation are completed, the source added, according to Sabq.

Last month, Saudi Arabia allowed all businesses, including fitness centres, to resume their activities amid strict measures against COVID-19 under a plan for gradual return to normal life in the kingdom.

Authorities have repeatedly called for observing hygiene rules and sternly warned against violations.