Morocco has asked its citizens to abide by the Saudi decision to temporarily suspend visits to Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina over coronavirus fears.
Morocco’s foreign ministry has also commended in a statement the Saudi decision as “responsible and right.”
The suspension of all foreign travels to Mecca and Medina comes ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as the Middle East recorded more than 220 confirmed cases.
“Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus and urges its citizens to exercise caution before travelling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement announcing the decision.
Iran has been the Middle East most hardly hit country with the virus. The epicenter appears to be in the holy Shia city of Qom, where a shrine there sees the faithful reach out to kiss and touch it in reverence.
China, where the pandemic outbroke in December, reported on Saturday at least 47 new deaths, bringing to 2,835 the number of fatalities nationwide among 79,251 confirmed cases.