Saudi Arabia to Ease Coronavirus Restrictions on Thursday

DOHA (Sputnik) - Saudi Arabia will start phasing out restrictions on Thursday that were imposed to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah has said.

"Starting Thursday, 28 May, the next measures will be implemented to allow a full return to normal life", he said during a press conference on Monday.

As part of the exit strategy, the Saudi health authorities plan to step up testing and increase capacities for treating patients with severe coronavirus disease.

Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour nation-wide lockdown during the five-day Eid Al Fitr Holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and is celebrated in the kingdom on 23-27 May 2020.

As of 25 May, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recorded 72,560 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 390 fatalities related to the disease, the World Health Organization dashboard shows.