RIYADH – The Saudi Hajj Ministry has revised the policy for Umrah, allowing the pilgrims to perform one Umrah every 10 days.
Report of Haramain Sharifain quoting Ministry of Hajj officials said the authorities restricted pilgrims to perform multiple Umrah on arrival in wake of the surge in Covid cases driven by Omicron variant.
The statement added that the restriction was imposed under the new measures to prevent the spread of the novel virus in the Grand Mosque of Makkah.
Earlier, the Ministry had removed all capacity restrictions and visitors could obtain permits without any waiting period however the pilgrims to observe social distancing in the Two Holy Mosques.
Social distancing measures were applied in prayer areas and pilgrims performing Umrah on the virtual tawaf paths to protect the health and safety of visitors. Workers at the Two Holy Mosques are urged to wear masks and observe access times on their permits.
Authorities directed all pilgrims to wear masks at all times to limit the spread of the latest Covid variant. The recent restrictions were re-imposed as the world witnessed a rapid increase in the numbers of infections due to the Omicron variant, a coronavirus strain with an unusually large number of mutations.
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