COVID-19: Saudi Arabia tightens curbs in mosques
Worshippers urged to observe distancing and mask wearing
Cairo: Saudi Arabia has instructed mosques across the kingdom to ensure worshippers’ compliance with precautions against COVID-19 amid an upward trend in infection rates after months of a significant decline.
Minister of Islamic Affairs and Call Abdulatif Al Sheikh has issued a circular to employees in mosques instructing them to exhort worshippers to observe all health precautions, particularly distancing and wearing of face masks to curtail the spread of COVID-19, news portal Sabq reported.
The circular was issued after laxity was monitored in implementing mask wearing and distancing in some mosques, the report said.
The minister also instructed mosque monitors to carry out daily inspection tours to ensure preventive measures are complied with and reporting infringements.
Saudi authorities Thursday registered 287 new coronavirus cases and a single related fatality. This raises the infection total in the kingdom so far to 551,749 cases and 8,868 related deaths.
Saudi Arabia confirmed its first Omicron case on December 1.