Cairo: Saudi Arabia has tightened measures to prevent crowding blamed for COVID-19 spread including celebrations traditionally held to mark opening of new markets and shops.
The Ministry of Commerce has announced banning all practices causing crowding inside or outside commercial establishments to “protect society from the coronavirus,” an official said.
“The ban covers parties held on the occasion of opening shops and markets, or events marking the launch of new products or services,” the ministry’s spokesman Abdulrahman Al Hussein added.
Other banned practices include in-person commercial competitions, and invitations to celebrities to show up at establishments for promotional purposes.
The ministry said that commercial establishments will be liable for any violation of the new rules and will face tough penalties that entail closure for six months and prosecution.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia have introduced restrictions to curb the COVID-19 spread and repeatedly warned against infringing health precautions in place.
Health authorities so far have confirmed a total of 394,169 virus cases and 6,711 fatalities in the kingdom.
