Saudi says two Holy Mosques will remain closed to worshippers during Ramadan

Authorities in Saudi Arabia have confirmed that praying at the Two Holy Mosques will remain suspended during Ramadan as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

President general of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, took to Twitter to confirm that the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque will remain closed to worshippers, but will broadcast the call for prayer throughout the holy month.

Ramadan is expected to begin on April 24.

The kingdom temporarily suspended Umrah for citizens and residents in the kingdom due to the coronavirus outbreak in early March.

Read: Saudi temporarily suspends Umrah for citizens, residents over coronavirus outbreak

It also imposed a 24-hour curfew the cities of Makkah and Madinah starting April 2, and confirmed that it would remain in effect until further notice.

The curfew includes a ban on the entry and exit of all residents from the two cities.

Read: Saudi Arabia imposes 24-hour lockdown until further notice in Makkah, Madinah

On Monday, Saudi Arabia reported 1,122 new cases of the Covid-19 virus, its highest daily spike of infections since the outbreak.

The newly diagnosed cases have increased the total number of infections in the country to 10,484.

Of the newly detected infections, Makkah reported the highest cases totaling 402, followed by Riyadh (200) and Jeddah (186).

The kingdom also announced six additional Covid-19 fatalities, with the death toll now at 103.

Read: GCC Covid-19 update: 484 new cases in UAE; Saudi reports 1,122 more cases, 6 deaths