Saudi Arabia Tells Umrah Pilgrims to Wear Face Masks Amid Global Rise of New COVID-19 Variant

Saudi Arabia Tells Umrah Pilgrims to Wear Face Masks Amid Global Rise of New COVID-19 Variant

Saudi Arabia’s public security authority has advised Umrah pilgrims to wear face masks when visiting holy sites.

Saudi Arabia tells Umrah pilgrims to wear face masks amid global rise of new Covid-19 variant

Saudi Arabia’s public security authority has advised Umrah pilgrims to wear face masks when visiting holy sites. The advice comes amid global reports of a new variant of the deadly coronavirus spreading worldwide.

The EG.5, also known as Eris, is a sublineage of the omicron variant and has been detected in 51 countries, including the United States, China, South Korea and Japan, according to an initial risk evaluation.

While overall risk is low, “based on its genetic features, immune escape characteristics, and growth rate estimates, EG.5 may spread globally and contribute to a surge in case incidence.”

Saudi security authorities have advised Umrah pilgrims to wear face masks to protect the health of themselves and others while in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement on an official social media account, it said: “Wearing a mask in the Two Holy Mosques, in Makkah and Madinah and their surrounding areas, protects you and others from disease infection.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation is tracking the spread of the new variant.

He said: “The risk remains