Saudi Arabia's drastic measures to curb the COVID-19 outbreak: Temporary suspension of the Umrah pilgrimage

• Authors: Shahul H. Ebrahim, University of Sciences, Technique and Technology, Bamako, Mali; Ziad Memish, Emory University
• Journal Title: Journal of Travel Medicine
• Volume: Volume 27, Number 3
• Publisher: Oxford University Press | 2020-04-01
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa029
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Sociology, Public and Social Welfare; Health Sciences, Health Care Management
• Keywords: COVID-19; Hajj, Umrah; SARS-CoV2; mass gatherings; novel coronavirus 2019; pilgrims; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections; Global Health; Humans; Islam; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Saudi Arabia; Travel

Abstract

The ongoing explosive spread of SARS CoV-2 and new hotspots beyond the first city of Wuhan, China especially in Iran and Italy, and introduction to the Middle Eastern countries calls for additional regional actions to stem its further spread. 1,2 For the first time in the eight decades of the history of Muslim pilgrimage to the holy sites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), on February 27, 2020, KSA placed restrictions on inbound Umrah pilgrimage. KSA also suspended the recently introduced e-Visa program, placed ban on inbound travel of persons from COVID19 affected countries, and restrictions on travel of GCC citizens who have traveled to COVID-19 affected countries.