International
COVID-19: Saudi To Allow Only ‘Immunised’ Pilgrims For Hajj, Umrah
- Only 10,000 Muslim residents of Saudi Arabia itself were allowed to take part last year
- It is unclear how many pilgrims will be allowed for hajj this year
Saudi authorities said Monday only people immunised against Covid-19 will be allowed to perform the year-round umrah pilgrimage from the start of Ramadan, the holy fasting month for Muslims.
The hajj and umrah ministry said in a statement that three categories of people would be considered “immunised” — those who have received two doses of the vaccine, those administered a single dose at least 14 days prior, and people who have recovered from the infection.
Read also: COVID-19: NCDC Records 135 New Cases, No Death For Fourth Consecutive Day
Only those people will be eligible for permits to perform umrah, as well as to attend prayers in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca.
It added that the condition also applies for entry into the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Medina.
The ministry said the policy starts with Ramadan, which is due to begin later this month, but it was unclear how long it would last.
It was also not clear whether the policy, which comes amid an uptick in coronavirus infections in the kingdom, would be extended to the annual hajj pilgrimage later this year.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Operatives Prevented Gunmen From Looting Imo Command Armoury – Police
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
