MECCA, Saudi Arabia — Pilgrims immunized against Covid-19
circled Islam’s holiest site in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca city Tuesday as they
performed the year-round umrah pilgrimage on the first day of the fasting month
of Ramadan.
اضافة اعلان
Mask-clad worshippers entered Mecca’s Grand Mosque in
batches to perform the ritual of circling the sacred Kaaba, a cubic structure
towards which Muslims around the world pray, along socially distanced paths.
Only immunized pilgrims are eligible for permits to
perform the pilgrimage and to attend prayers in the Grand Mosque during
Ramadan, the hajj and umrah ministry announced earlier this month.
According to the ministry, three categories of people are
considered “immunized” — those who have received two doses of coronavirus
vaccine, those administered a single dose at least 14 days prior, and people
who have recovered from the infection.
The policy has effectively raised the Grand Mosque’s
capacity during Ramadan to accommodate 50,000 umrah pilgrims and 100,000
worshippers per day, according to state media.
It is unclear 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.
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