The Islamic endowment overseeing the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, says the mosque itself and other buildings will be closed over concerns about the new coronavirus. Sheikh Omar Kiswani, the director of the mosque, said on Sunday that prayers will continue to be held outdoors. The closure is to continue indefinitely.
Iran’s official leading the country’s response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East on Sunday acknowledged that the pandemic could overwhelm health facilities in the country, which is under severe US Sanctions.