Riyadh, May 23 (IANS) Saudi Arabia has banned citizens from traveling to 16 countries, including India, due to the Covid-19 situation in those countries, media reported.

The Directorate General of Passports said the list of countries included Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Indonesia, Vietnam, Armenia, Belarus and Venezuela, The Express Tribune reported.

The Directorate stressed that the validity of the passport of Saudis who intend to travel to non-Arab countries must be longer than six months.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has assured the public that no cases of monkeypox have been detected in the country so far.

Abdullah Asiri, deputy health minister, said the Kingdom has the capacity to monitor and find out any suspected case of monkeypox and also to fight the infection if a new case emerges, The Express Tribune reported.

“So far, cases of human-to-human transmission are very limited, and therefore the possibility of outbreaks resulting, even in countries that have detected cases, is very low,” he added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands surveillance in countries where the disease is not usually present.

–IANS

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