Prayers will continue only at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah, the holiest places in Islam, state news agency SPA reported, citing a decision from the Council of Senior Scholars, the kingdom's highest religious body. Mosques will close their doors temporarily but continue to issue the ritual call to prayer, which will direct people to pray in their homes rather than come to the mosque, SPA said. Praying over the dead will only be permitted at the cemetery, not in the mosque, he added. Saudi Arabia, which , has taken drastic measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Cleaners wear protective face masks, following the outbreak of the coronavirus, as they swipe the floor at the Kaaba in the Grand mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia March 3, 2020.

Source: bd News24 March 17, 2020 17:37 UTC