RIYADH: After seven months, Saudi Arabia resumed the Omra pilgrimage on Sunday for many citizens of the country amid strict physical fitness measures in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hundreds of citizens were welcomed on Sunday in Mecca, who traveled the socially remote roads of the Santa Kaaba.
The General Presidency of Affairs of the two holy mosques welcomes pilgrims, who accumulated at sites in Mecca, Ajyad, Al-Shasha, Al-Gazzah and Al-Zahir, and were transported to the Kaaba on special buses.
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In addition, at least 1,000 workers have been appointed to oversee the rituals of the Umrah at the Grand Mosque, which is cleaned ten times a day.
In order to protect the Pilgrims from the Umra, thermal cameras have been placed in the entrances and interiors of the corridors of the Grand Mosque to monitor the temperature spikes of the frame and factor alerts if necessary.
The Kingdom took drastic measures to combat the pandemic and suspended the pilgrimage and prayers of the Umrah in mosques in mid-March.
Saudi Arabia has also suspended foreign flights and put a blockade in position to prevent it from accumulating virus cases.
Meanwhile, the Saudi ministry said visitors from outside the Kingdom will be allowed to practice Umra from November 1 after the capacity of the sacred site is greater than 20,000 pilgrims depending on the day.
The ministry added that umrah, which refers to the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can take place at any time of the year, could resume at full “natural capacity” once the risk of the pandemic is eliminated.
The resolve to resume the Umrah in reaction to the “aspirations of Muslims at home and abroad” to carry out the ritual and make a stopover in the sacred places.
The government took up the resolution after the Kingdom organized the smallest Hajj in fashion history in late July, with only 10,000 Muslims in the devout ritual.
According to the fitness authorities, no cases of coronavirus have been reported in the sacred sites of Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.