Pilgrims arriving in Mecca now have to go through quarantine

Pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia to worship the holy sites of Islam in Mecca will have to go through quarantine at a hotel, take a PCR test and download a special app to choose the time to visit the Great Mosque of Mecca, Mufti of the Moscow Region Rushan Abbyasov, deputy chairman of the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with RIA Novosti, Report informs.

"Upon arrival, the pilgrim must go through a three-day quarantine at a hotel, so they need to rent a room for three days and order three meals a day. After 48 hours, they will take a PCR test, the third day - to get the test result. If it is negative, they can make a pilgrimage," Abbyasov said.

He noted that now, the Saudi authorities do not require social distance to be observed, for example, the markings have already been removed in the Great Mosque of Mecca (where believers perform the Umrah rite), but you need to wear a mask in public places and during Umrah. Also, according to him, the pilgrim will be offered to download a special app, indicate passport data, information on vaccinations and arrival time in it.

Earlier, Abbyasov noted that so far, there were no regular flights from Russia to Saudi Arabia, but there would be charters and flights through third countries, and the cost of the usual ten-day tour, according to his forecasts, will start from $1500.