Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia Suspends Prayers at 2 Holy Mosques of Mecca, Madinah

The Saudi Arabian authorities have prohibited Muslim worshippers from accessing and praying outside two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah in a bid to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, reports Anadolu Agency.

“The Presidency and the security and health authorities decided to suspend... prayers in the outer squares of the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) and the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) starting today (Friday)” the country’s official SPA news agency quoted Hani bin Hosni Haider, a spokesman for the General Presidency of Makkah’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, as saying.

Saudi Arabia previously halted congregational services in the country's main mosques, save for Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi.

Throughout the world, the number of confirmed virus cases totaled 274.

The Covid-19 virus emerged last December in Wuhan, China and has spread to at least 160 countries and territories. The disease has been deemed a pandemic by the International Health Organisation (WHO).

The number of reported cases globally is 242,721, while the death rate is more than 9,860, according to statistics gathered by Johns Hopkins University in the United States.