Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah, the small Muslim pilgrimage

The small Umrah pilgrimage is temporarily suspended by the Saudi authorities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. AFP Photos / Abdel Ghani BASHIR

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Saudi Arabia has "temporarily" suspended Umrah, the small Muslim pilgrimage that can be undertaken throughout the year, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Saudi Arabia confirmed its first case of the disease earlier this week.

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The decision to temporarily suspend Umrah concerns " (Saudi) citizens and (resident) foreigners " and aims to " ensure the safety of crowds ", explains the SPA agency, citing a source within the Interior Ministry. It comes after the suspension of the granting of visas for Umrah Thursday February 27.

The measure concerns the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina, " which experience a permanent and intense flow of human crowds, which makes securing these crowds of the utmost importance ", justified the source. It will be subject to a “ permanent review ” and will be “ canceled as soon as the reasons which justified it disappear ”, she specified.

A case of coronavirus in the country

The Saudi Ministry of Health confirmed Monday, March 2, the first case of a new coronavirus in the kingdom, a person tested positive after his return from Iran. More than 150 cases have been recorded in the Gulf, most of whom have returned from the Islamic Republic, one of the most important centers of the epidemic in the world.

The small pilgrimage notably provides for a visit to the great mosque in Mecca and that of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina. It is not a compulsory act for Muslims, but it is often a way of preparing for Hajj , a " great " pilgrimage that is to be done at least once in your life.

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In 2003, Saudi Arabia suspended the granting of visas for Umrah but only to certain countries in Asia due to SARS. In 2009, the Saudi kingdom had planned to cancel the Hajj pilgrimage because of the H1N1 flu.

(With AFP)

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  • Saudi Arabia
  • Health and Medicine
  • Religion
  • Islam
  • coronavirus

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