Authorities in Saudi Arabia have said only Umrah pilgrims and worshippers who have been vaccinated against coronavirus or who have recovered from Covid-19 will only be allowed entry into the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
According to the kingdom’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, permits will be issued to those who have received two doses of the vaccine, anyone after at least 14 days of receiving their first vaccine does, or who have recovered from the infection.
Anyone wishing to visit the two mosques or perform Umrah will have to register via the Tawakkalna app and the Umrah app Eatmarna.
Spokesman of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Holy Mosque and the Prophet’s Holy Mosque, Hani bin Hosni Haider, said approximately 5,000 workers were conducting sterilisation and disinfection operations around the clock, and the Grand Mosque was being sterilised up to 10 times daily.
He added that the General Presidency has allocated the Mataf courtyard for Umrah performers only, creating 14 virtual paths for the performance of Tawaf (circumambulation), taking into account the physical distancing, and the three paths closest to the Kaaba are specified for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Since the suspension of Umrah was lifted in October last year, over 13 million worshippers wearing masks and observing physical distancing rules have visited the mosques.
The Umrah, which refers to the Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah that can be undertaken at any time of year, attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe annually.
Some 2.5 million faithful travelled to Saudi Arabia from across the world in 2019 to take part in the hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.
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