Saudi Arabia Suspends Mecca Pilgrimage Visas on Coronavirus
- Tourists from over 20 countries also blocked from entering
- No infections reported in the kingdom as of Wednesday
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Saudi Arabia took the rare step of suspending religious pilgrimage trips to the kingdom and limiting entry by tourists to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Muslim pilgrims traveling to perform the non-compulsory Umrah ritual in the holy city of Mecca or visit a sacred site in Medina won’t be allowed to enter, nor will tourists from countries “where the spread of coronavirus represents a danger,” according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Pilgrimages by foreign residents, citizens and visitors already in the nation appeared to be continuing as usual on Thursday.