Dubai: More than 114 Saudi citizens have alerted the kingdom’s health authorities that they have been in Iran. At least 95 of them are still now in Tehran, according to Al Arabiya.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia yesterday called on citizens who have been in Iran over the past 14 days to declare visits, as part of measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. “If you were in Iran in the past 14 days, take the initiative and declare it; protect your health and the health of your family,” said the Saudi civil aviation authority tweet.
Members of the kingdom’s Shiite minority tend to keep their visits to Iran secret due to the tense relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016, according to the New York Times.
Iran has reported one of the largest number of deaths because of the coronavirus outbreak outside China - 124 up until Friday.
Meanwhile Bahrain announced six new cases of the disease, bringing the total to 62, the biggest number in the region outside Iran. Bahrain also said work is underway with all relevant authorities to implement the evacuation plan for Bahraini citizens in Iran, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Walid bin Khalifa Al Manea, said.
Al Manea added, “Work is continuing to transfer the citizens in Iran in stages, the first group of citizens will be transferred next Tuesday, and efforts are continuing to complete the various precautionary and preventive measures to preserve their safety and the safety of citizens and residents in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
Al Manea noted that since the announcement of the evacuation plan, relevant authorities have been in contact with citizens present in Iran who registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and their families.
