Saudi Arabia restricts domestic pilgrims from Umrah over coronavirus fears

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday imposed a temporary travel ban on its own citizens from performing Umrah over fears of the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 3200 people globally.

The aim is to "limit the spread of the coronavirus and prevent its access to the Two Holy Mosques, which are witnessing permanent and intense crowds, which makes the issue of securing these crowds of utmost importance," a spokesperson of the Saudi Interior Ministry told Al Arabiya News.

The Kingdom imposed a ban last week on overseas pilgrims visiting the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

The ban now applies to Saudi nationals and expatriates, the ministry said.

Saudis and expats may still visit Mecca and Medina to pray provided they do not go for Umrah, said Deputy Hajj Minister Abdulfattah Mashat.

"Makkah is still open to visitors from across the Kingdom, the decision suspends only Umrah activities," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

t dThe Kingdom reported its second coronavirus case on Wednesday, a companion of the first, who had crossed the causeway from Bahrain without disclosing that he had visited Iran, the center of the outbreak in the Middle East region.

Saudi authorities have so far quarantined 70 people who had been in contact with the patient and 51 of them tested negative for the virus, the Ministry of Health said.

At present, there are more than 3,150 cases across the Middle East, most of them somehow linked to Iran; the country which so far has confirmed 2,922 cases and 92 deaths.

Worldwide, more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, with more than 3,200 deaths.

Nearly a third of employers in the Kingdom have plans for staff to work from home if the virus threat grows.