Sun 17 October 2021:
For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has returned to full capacity, with worshippers worshipping shoulder to shoulder.
The Grand Mosque’s floor markings that direct people to social distance were removed on Sunday.
“This is in line with the decision to ease precautionary measures and to allow pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque at full capacity,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Pictures and footage on Sunday morning showed people praying side by side in straight rows of worshippers, the formation revered in Muslim prayers, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last year.
WATCH | Social distancing stickers being removed from Masjid al Haram#SaudiArabia #Makkah #Madinah #Islam pic.twitter.com/EV4eQ5mYEM
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) October 17, 2021
“This is in line with the decision to ease precautionary measures and to allow pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque at full capacity,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Pictures and footage on Sunday morning showed people praying side by side in straight rows of worshippers, the formation revered in Muslim prayers, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last year.
WATCH | In Muslim holy city of Mecca, worshippers praying shoulder-to-shoulder for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.#SaudiArabia #Makkah #Madinah #Islam #CoronavirusUpdates pic.twitter.com/3BdCZhHQ1f
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) October 17, 2021
Visitors must be properly vaccinated against coronavirus and must continue to wear masks on mosque grounds, despite the lifting of social distancing regulations.
The Kaaba, towards which Muslims around the world pray, remained cordoned off and out of reach.
Saudi Arabia will lift COVID-19 restrictions beginning October 17 in response to a significant decline in daily infections and a significant increase in vaccination numbers, according to the interior ministry.
Fully vaccinated people were also allowed to enter closed events, meetings, transit, restaurants, and theatres.
Masks are no longer mandatory in open public places while still imposed at closed venues, it added.
Furthermore, fully-inoculated sports fans will from Sunday be allowed to attend events at all stadiums and other sports facilities, reported SPA.
Only approximately 60,000 vaccinated citizens and residents were permitted to participate in a drastically reduced version of the traditional Hajj pilgrimage in July.
The Hajj, which takes place every year over ten days and is expected of all physically and financially capable Muslims at least once in their lives, attracts millions of pilgrims from all over the world. The Umrah, a smaller pilgrimage, can be done at any time of year and attracts millions of people to the country.
Last August, Saudi Arabia announced that vaccinated foreigners seeking to perform the Umrah will be accepted.
The COVID-19 outbreak wreaked havoc on both pilgrimages, which generate a combined $12 billion in revenue for the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has reported more than 547,000 coronavirus cases and 8,760 deaths.
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