Saudi Arabia bans its citizens from performing the pilgrimage in Mecca, while Iran cancels Friday prayers in major cities over coronavirus fears
Cleaners wear protective face masks, following the outbreak of the coronavirus, as they swipe the floor at the Kaaba in the Grand mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia March 3, 2020.
Even after that announcement on Feb. 27, people already in Saudi Arabia could still travel to Mecca's Grand Mosque, where pilgrims circle the black, cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims around the world pray toward five times a day. The decision seeks to "limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic and prevent its access to the Two Holy Mosques, which are witnessing a permanent and intense flow of human crowds, which makes the issue of securing these crowds of utmost importance," the Saudi government said.
"It encompasses almost all of our provinces and is, in a sense, a global disease that many countries in the world have become infected with, and we must work together to tackle this problem as quickly as possible."While observant Muslims can pray at home, the devout prefer to attend Friday prayers as a community.
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