Riyadh: With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah have offered Fajr (dawn) prayer without social distancing on Sunday.
The imams of Masjid Al Haram and Masjid An Nabawi on Sunday instruct worshipers to “straighten the rows and close the gaps.”
Ecstatic worshippers in the Grand Mosque in Makkah Al-Mukkarramah and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah Al-Munawarrah and all the mosques in the Kingdom lined up shoulder-to-shoulder to perform the Fajr prayers.
Pictures and footage on Sunday morning showed worshipers lining up, with their commitment to wearing masks.
Here’s a look
Makkah Mosque
Madinah Mosque
Social distancing stickers removed, path towards normality ensures.
The Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques had restored carpets in the courtyards of the Grand Mosque for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
This is in line with the decision to lift precautionary and preventive measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting from Saturday, March 5.
The requirement to obtain permits for prayers in Masjid Al Haram and Ziyarah to the Prophet and His Companions has been removed, and showing the “Immune” status on Tawkalana is sufficient.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the availability of reservations for permits to perform Umrah during the blessed month of Ramadan, through the “Eatmarna” and “Tawakkalna” applications, starting from Sunday, Shaban 3, 1443 AH, March 6, 2022.
It is noteworthy that on Saturday, the total number of COVID infections in Saudi Arabia reached 747,119, 726,876 recoveries, and 9006 deaths, knowing that it provided 61,405,382 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
New COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia dropped below the 300-mark on Saturday with 283 new infections recorded over the past 24 hours.
On March 4, 2020, Saudi Arabia decided to temporarily suspend Umrah for citizens and residents; for fear of the spread of the COVID-19, the authorities also decided to prevent visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
On October 17, 2021, due to a consequential decline in COVID-19 cases and a considerable development in vaccinations in the Kingdom, the interior ministry of Saudi Arabia eased COVID-19 restrictions.
On December 2021, Saudi Arabia reintroduced physical distancing in the two holy mosques after it was cancelled in October.
