Saudi Arabia cancels Umrah during Ramadan over COVID-19

Saudi Arabia has cancelled all international flights to the holy city of Mecca dropping Hajj pilgrimage during the holy month of Ramadan due to the surge of coronavirus cases in the country.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced a decision to cancel all international flights due to an increase in the number of the new coronavirus cases, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

According to the latest recommendations by Saudi Airlines all international airlines to and from the Arab kingdom up to May 17 will be cancelled.

This is the second year that Muslims from foreign countries miss the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 had also imposed restriction even for the Saudi pilgrims as the Saudi authorities had banned pilgrimage and communal prayer at holy sites in Medina and Mecca.

The country had lifted the ban for local pilgrims on October 4^th following a decrease in the number of infection permitting the foreign pilgrims to enter the country.

As the British, African and Brazilian variants of the new coronavirus in February 2021 the international flights have been cancelled again.

https://taghribnews.com/vdccseq0o2bqo08.-ya2.html