Umrah Pilgrims Advised to Wear Face Masks
The country’s Interior Ministry posted a tweet on Monday, advising pilgrims to wear masks in the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque and their courtyards, to protect themselves and others from the risk of infection.
The tweet said: "Guest of Al-Rahman... Wearing a mask in the Two Holy Mosques, in Mecca and Medina and their surrounding areas, protects you and others from disease infection."
The tweet comes amid global reports of a new variant of the coronavirus, known as EG.5 or Eris, which has been detected in 51 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO said that the new variant may have immune escape characteristics and could contribute to a surge in case incidence.
Saudi Arabia has reopened its borders, allowing Umrah pilgrims to visit the holy sites from across the world.
For the current Umrah season, Saudi Arabia expects approximately 10 million Muslims from abroad to participate. The season began a few weeks ago, coinciding with the start of the new Islamic Hijri year. This follows the completion of the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, which saw 1.8 million Muslims attending for the first time in three years after pandemic-related restrictions were lifted.
Source: Agencies
