KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will suspend umrah trips to Saudi Arabia from Jan 8 as part of efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced on Saturday .
“Most pilgrims who returned from performing the umrah applied to undergo their seven-day quarantine at home. However, when there was non-compliance with the stipulated standard operating procedure, positive COVID-19 cases among umrah pilgrims caused the infection to spread among family members,” said Mr Khairy at a press conference.
“Pilgrims leaving for the Holy Land between Jan 1 and 7 will be allowed to proceed with their journey. However, they need to undergo quarantine at quarantine stations or hotels identified by NADMA on their return to Malaysia,” he told reporters.Malaysia lifts COVID-19 travel ban on 8 African countries, cuts booster interval amid Omicron fearsMalaysia has recorded 64 Omicron cases as of Dec 31, of which 32 involved umrah pilgrims, said Mr Khairy. There were also nine clusters involving pilgrims.
Those who have paid for an umrah package but are unable to go as a result of the restrictions will be refunded or have their travel rescheduled, said Mr Khairy.