For his part, the security spokesman of the Interior Ministry Lt. Col. Talal Al-Shalhoub stressed the need to strict commitment of citizens and residents to the self-quarantine and not leaving homes unless for emergency, a license given even during curfew. The complete lockdown in the two cities of Makkah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah around the clock, effective today until further notice, is part of the government's efforts to curb the effects of the new coronavirus and in implementation of the health authorities recommendations pertaining to upgrading the degree of precautionary and preventive measures, Al-Shalhoub said, citing the interior ministry's statement, transmitted ealier today by SPA. He reiterated that the bodies exempted from the curfew to enter the isolated areas were shown in previous orders on the official media. He offered the number 999 throughout the country and the number 911 for Makkah region for people requesting to report on something urgent about the situation. --SPA 21:52 LOCAL TIME 18:52 GMT 0028 www.spa.gov.sa/w1300001