Mecca on Sunday after Saudi Arabia lifted coronavirus restrictions that had been in place for months.The kingdom had taken the rare step in early March of suspending the smaller year-round “umrah” pilgrimage that draws millions from across the world, as the coronavirus morphed into a global pandemic and prompted countries to impose lockdowns and curfews to slow down transmission.But as nations begin to ease those restrictions, the Saudi government on Sunday started allowing a maximum of 6,000 pilgrims a day to enter the sprawling Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Only Saudi citizens and residents will be permitted to enter the mosque during this first phase of reopening, and each person has up to three hours to complete the pilgrimage.