A man wears a protective face mask while jogging, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 13, 2020. (Photo: AP)

RIYADH, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday its plan to lift the anti-coronavirus measures in three phases, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

In the first phase from May 28 to 30, travel between cities and regions, with the exception of Mecca, will be permitted during the curfew hours from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m., while retail and wholesale shops and malls will be allowed to open, according to a statement by the interior ministry carried by the SPA.

For the second phase from May 31 to June 20, the curfew across the kingdom except for Mecca will be eased to from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., while all mosques will reopen for all congregational prayers, also with the exception of Mecca.

Domestic flights will be resumed in the second phase.

Starting June 21, the third phase will see all curfews lifted across the kingdom except Mecca.

As for the holy city of Mecca, the first-phase easing will be carried out between May 31 to June 20 and the second will begin on June 21.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry said the decisions are subjected to assessment and periodic review by the health ministry.

Saudi Arabia reported 1,931 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number in the kingdom to 76,726, the health ministry tweeted.

The the death toll from the virus increased by 12 to 411, while 2,782 new recoveries were added, bringing the total recoveries to 48,450.