Covid-19 in Saudi Arabia: distancing back to Mecca and holy places

Stickers were placed on the ground to force pilgrims to keep their distance in the Grand Mosque of the holy city of Mecca on December 30, 2021. AFP - -

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The symbolic milestone of one million daily infections by Covid-19 worldwide was crossed for the first time this week.

In all countries, the new restrictions are falling.

In Saudi Arabia, physical distancing has been re-established in holy places such as The Great Mosque of Mecca.

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" 

 ", justifies the official Saudi press agency.

This Thursday, stickers were once again placed on the ground of La Grande Mosquée to force pilgrims to keep their distance.

The day before, the same measure was applied in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Islam's second holy city. 

Saudi Arabia, which hosted millions of pilgrims each year before the start of the crisis, had

on access to its holy sites.

Foreign pilgrims could go to Mecca again, if they were vaccinated.

The distancing rules were lifted in October. 

Epidemic outbreak

But the new Covid-19 figures are pushing the authorities to act.

With more than 700 patients recorded Wednesday, December 29, the number of contaminations has multiplied by twenty since the beginning of the month.  

This week, wearing a mask is once again compulsory outdoors and in areas frequented by the public.

The kingdom's health authority is calling on citizens and residents to avoid “

”

travel

outside the country.

► To read also: Covid-19: the Gulf countries are also suffering from the arrival of Omicron

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• Saudi Arabia

• Coronavirus

• Religion