“Putting the mask at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque and their courtyards marks prevention and protection from catching diseases,” the Saudi General Directorate of Public Security said in a social media post.

The kingdom expects the arrival of around 10 million Muslims from abroad for the upcoming Umrah season.

In 2023, around 1.8 million Muslims attended Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia for the first time in three years after the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

While Pakistan has not detected any case of the new Covid-19 variant JN.1, it is preparing to receive at least 500,000 doses of Pfizer’s new Covid-19 vaccine (2023-24 formula) in January, especially to vaccinate pilgrims who will be travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj later this year.

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated JN.1 as a “variant of interest” amid sharp rise in world spread.