Covid-19: Khairy lists non-compliance with SOPs, home quarantine rules among reasons for umrah suspension

PETALING JAYA: Breaking home quarantine rules, issues in complying with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for umrah pilgrimages and the worrying number of Omicron Covid-19 variant cases among returnees from Saudi Arabia are among the factors that led the government to impose umrah curbs, says Khairy Jamaluddin (pic).

The Health Minister, who announced the suspension of umrah pilgrimages for Malaysians starting Jan 8 and the imposition of mandatory quarantine at designated centres for returning pilgrims beginning Jan 3, said Umrah pilgrims made up 50% of the 64 confirmed Omicron cases in Malaysia.