The U.S. is suspending certain types of travel for military and civilian Department of Defense personnel to and within the Middle East due to concerns over the coronavirus, according to an order issued Thursday.

All leave and liberty travel with the Central Command theater is banned until further notice, according to the memo obtained by POLITICO. For example, personnel assigned to a unit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, cannot travel to the United Arab Emirates or Jeddah for the weekend.


The military took the extra step of also banning all non-essential travel specifically within Saudi Arabia, which includes “going to the mall, movies, other crowded venues or recreational facilities/establishments,” according to the memo.