The Saudi authorities announced, on Friday, the suspension of flights to and from countries located in southern Africa, as fears escalated over the new mutated Coronavirus, which was found in South Africa.

The countries are: "The Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of Botswana, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of Mozambique, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Kingdom of Eswatini," according to the Saudi Press Agency, quoting an official source in the Ministry of Interior.

The source said that the decision came "for reasons related to the outbreak of the new Coronavirus pandemic ... and based on what the competent health authorities in the Kingdom submitted about the emergence of a mutated strain ... in a number of countries, and the monitoring of the transmission of infected people to other countries."

In addition to suspending entry to the Kingdom for non-nationals, those coming directly and indirectly from the aforementioned countries; Except for those who have spent a period of no less than 14 days in another country from which health procedures in the Kingdom allow entry to those coming from, in accordance with the approved health procedures.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the entire approved institutional quarantine procedures for a period of 5 days will be applied to all excluded groups coming from these countries, including citizens of the Kingdom, regardless of the status of immunization.