Crowd control plans put in place by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque enabled Friday prayers to run smoothly. (File photo)
Health Ministry reports 383 new COVID-19 cases, 397 recoveries, 14 deaths
JEDDAH: The number of worshippers allowed to attend the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah under coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions on Friday reached its maximum capacity.
In line with Saudi Ministry of Health preventive regulations, officials have implemented safety measures to make it possible for the Prophet’s Mosque to operate at 40 percent of normal visitor levels.
Crowd control plans put in place by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque, with the help of Saudi Red Crescent Authority volunteers, enabled Friday prayers to run smoothly.
Presidency spokesman, Jama’an Al-Asiri, told Al-Ekhbariya TV that preparations had been concluded before Isha prayers on Thursday.
“This included sanitizing the Prophet’s Mosque and preparing it, setting up Zamzam water bottles to receive worshippers on Friday, and coordinating with the mosque’s armed forces and Hajj and Umrah armed forces to facilitate entry into the mosque,” he said. Al-Asiri added that by 10 a.m. the allocated 40 percent capacity had been met. The exit plan allowed those in the outer areas to leave first, then those on the rooftops, before finally letting out worshippers inside the mosque. As part of the COVID-19 preventive measures, people are still not allowed to pray near the Rawdah.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia recorded 14 new COVID-19-related deaths on Friday, raising the total to 5,264.
