Coronavirus reaches Saudi Arabia

Riyadh: Authorities in Saudi Arabia on Monday said one of its citizens who had returned from Iran has tested positive for coronavirus.

The health ministry said the patient has been pit into isolation in a hospital after he entered Saudi Arabia from Bahrain.

The first case of coronavirus has been confirmed days after the Kingdom
barred many countries from visiting Makkah and Madina.

The country also has suspended visas for Umrah in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The unprecedented moves have left thousands of Muslim pilgrims in limbo, raising uncertainty over the annual hajj to Mecca scheduled for end of July.
The holy sites, which draw millions of pilgrims every year, are a potential source of contagion but also a pillar of political legitimacy for Saudi rulers and a key revenue earner.