MAKKAH: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques intensified precautionary measures against coronavirus to ensure the safety of visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.

There was also a field inspection from Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, who leads the presidency. He said it was important to intensify anti-coronavirus measures and boost coordination between all parties that were concerned with the safety of the pilgrims.

“The measures undertaken include using a machine that sprays sterilizer on surfaces, floors and carpets, distributing hand sterilizers at the entrances and all prayer rooms, sterilizing carpets by adding a sterilization line to the carpet washer, accelerating the carpet changing rate in the Grand Mosque and raising the number of main carpet washings to six,” said Mohammed bin Musleh Al-Jabri, who is the deputy president for technical and services’ affairs.

“The measures also include providing emergency washers when needed, sterilizing the Zamzam water fountains, changing the used containers and cups and closing the air conditioner return estimated at 25 percent in the second Saudi expansion so that 100 percent of the air becomes dedicated to air conditioning and cooling.”

Last month the Kingdom temporarily suspended entry for individuals seeking to perform the Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah or visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, as well as tourists traveling from countries where coronavirus poses a risk as determined by the Kingdom’s health authorities. These countries include China, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Kazakhstan.

Citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been temporarily banned from entering Saudi Arabia’s holy cities Makkah and Madinah.