Saudi Arabia has banned citizens and residents from performing the Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca over fears about new virus.
The announcement came on the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday, quoting an unnamed Interior Ministry official announcing the ban.
It gave no time frame for how long the suspension will stand.
Last week, Saudi Arabia closed off the holiest sites in Islam to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus. That disrupted travel for thousands of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affecting plans later this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual hajj.
Meanwhile Religious authorities are advising people how to pray or mark holy days without risking spreading COVID-19 further. The virus, which originated in China, has so far infected more than 93,000 people globally and killed more than 3,000.
Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was preventing foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba, the building at the centre of the Great Mosque. It also said travel was suspended to Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina.
This year’s Hajj, which usually brings about three million people to Mecca, is expected to take place from July 28 to August 2. Authorities have not yet announced any restrictive measures; more than 60,000 people have applied to participate in this year’s event already.
The kingdom has two reported cases of coronavirus.
Iran is also struggling to contain the virus, with a rising number of cases and deaths each day. As of Wednesday evening, those totalled 2,922 and 92, respectively.
Friday prayers in all provincial capitals have been halted.
“This disease is a widespread one,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told his cabinet, according to a transcript. “It encompasses almost all of our provinces and is, in a sense, a global disease that many countries in the world have become infected with, and we must work together to tackle this problem as quickly as possible.”
