WATCH: Saudi authorities break up wedding party amid virus fears

Saudi authorities break up a wedding celebration in the city of Unayzah amid fears over the spread of coronavirus in the country.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

14 March, 2020

The wedding celebration was cancelled by Saudi authorities [Twitter/@alqabidid,@1s111k]

A video of Saudi authorities breaking up a wedding celebration in the city of Unayzah due to concerns over coronavirus has been widely circulating on social media platforms by users in the kingdom.

The video appears to show authorities stopping at the wedding hall, after which attendees are filmed leaving the celebration, Saudi media reported.

"In the first such move in Saudi Arabia, a wedding party held today in Unayzah was called off," one person tweeted alongside a video of Saudi men outside a hall.

"The presence of security officers cancelled the party," the tweet added.

Saudi Arabia has taken several measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including a suspension of wedding celebrations.

In the latest of such measures, the kingdom suspended international flights for two weeks.

Twitter Post

Saudi Arabia has recorded 86 cases of the virus so far, but no deaths, according to the health ministry.

Riyadh already halted flights to some countries and closed schools and universities as part of measures to contain the disease.

Twitter Post

Authorities have also suspended the "umrah" year-round pilgrimage to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina for fear of the virus spreading.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia arrested several people attempting to flee the Shia-majority region of Qatif - which was put under lockdown over the weekend over fears of coronavirus.

A video report on al-Ekhbariya TV Thursday shows a number of cars on rough terrain being stopped by road security patrols.

Saudi authorities suspended entry and exit from the Shia-majority Qatif region last week, as part of stringent measures to curb the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.

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