Covid-19: Saudi Arabia has checked temperatures of 4m at Grand Mosque

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People are seen through a thermal camera as a man enters a new self-sterilisation gate at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in this file photo taken on May 7, 2020.
People are seen through a thermal camera as a man enters a new self-sterilisation gate at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in this file photo taken on May 7, 2020.

Makkah - A total of 25 cameras have been installed at entrances of the Grand Mosque to detect feverish worshippers.

By Agencies

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Published: Tue 15 Dec 2020, 2:07 AM

Since the resumption of Umrah, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has monitored temperatures of around 4 million people through thermal cameras.

Also read: Covid-19: Saudi Arabia declares victory over coronavirus


A total of 25 cameras have been installed at entrances of the Grand Mosque to detect feverish worshippers to check the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

As reported by Arab News on Tuesday, more than 100 employees have been trained to use the thermal cameras, which can record temperatures six metres away.


Visitors are also sprayed with disinfectants at the entrance.

The presidency has introduced strict health and safety measures to protect pilgrims.

In order to ensure social distancing, the presidency has designated special pathways for elderly and disabled people to help them safely perform rituals.

Air-conditioning systems and filters receive nine daily cleans using ultraviolet sanitising technology, and more than 200 hand-sanitising devices have been distributed around the mosque.

Water coolers and reusable bottles have been banned for health reasons and instead the presidency hands out a certain number of Zamzam water bottles to each pilgrim.

The holy city of Makkah slowly stirred from a seven-month hibernation on October 4 as pilgrims trickled in after Saudi Arabian authorities partially lifted a coronavirus ban on performing Umrah - a pilgrimage to Islam's two holiest sites that is undertaken at any time of year.

Millions of Muslims from around the world usually descend on Saudi Arabia for the Umrah and Haj pilgrimages.

Saudi Arabia, which held a largely symbolic Haj earlier this year limited to domestic worshippers, allowed citizens and residents to start performing Umrah as of October 4 at 30 per cent capacity, or 6,000 pilgrims a day.

It opened for faithful from abroad starting November 1.

Last year the Gulf state drew 19 million Umrah visitors.


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