Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs office in Jazan has temporarily shut down the Budaiya Mosque in Abu Arish governorate after the imam tested positive for COVID-19, local media reported.
It is reportedly the first time in Saudi Arabia that a mosque has been closed after the imam tested positive for the deadly virus.
The ministry said field teams undertook preventive and precautionary measures, including sterilisation operations and comprehensive maintenance, in preparation for reopening the mosque and receiving worshippers.
So far, Saudi Arabia has closed more than 1,000 mosques in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Over the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia reported an upward trend in the daily coronavirus cases, with 1,017 new infections recorded yesterday.
According to the Ministry of Health, 19 more people died over the past 24 hours due to complications caused by the virus. This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 465,797 and the virus-related fatalities to 7,572.
The rise in COVID-19 infection has prompted authorities to take new precautionary measures, including banning mall entry for unvaccinated people.
Vaccination with at least one dose against COVID-19 will be a requirement to visit malls, the Ministry of Commerce Spokesman Abdul Rahman Al Hussein, said yesterday.
