Saudi Arabia to enforce 24-hour curfew during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday

Saudi Arabia will enforce a countrywide 24-hour curfew during the five-day Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday later this month to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The curfew will apply from May 23 - May 27 following the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Until then, commercial and business enterprises will remain open as they now are and people can move freely between 9 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and 5 p.m., except in Mecca which remains under a full curfew, a statement published by state news agency SPA said.

Saudi Arabia had earlier imposed 24-hour curfews on most towns and cities but eased them for the start of Ramzan.

The kingdom has so far recorded 42,925 cases and 264 deaths.