Hawzah News Agency - (Mashhad - Iran) - Due to the resurge of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of the Sacred Places and Pilgrims Affairs of Astan Quds Razavi has upheld the need to develop a comprehensive one-year plan to ease visits by pilgrims and neighbors of Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine in cooperation with provincial institutions.

Mostafa Feyzi, in a meeting dubbed “Intensification of health protocols implementation in the holy shrine” which was held in the presence of AQR and provincial managers and health officials of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in the holy shrine, expressed solutions to prevent the spread of the virus in the holy shrine.

He pointed out that after the reopening of the shrine and the arrival of pilgrims and neighbors, to prevent the spread of the virus, as soon as the population density in the central courtyards increases, the doors will be closed and the rest of the pilgrims and the neighbors will be guided to the adjacent and larger courtyards.

“The checkered arrangement of the carpets is done in the courtyards for the family sitting of the pilgrims and the neighbors. This includes the arrangement of the every-other-one distance in the presence of four people on one carpet, especially for holding congregational prayers in large and secluded courtyards. After each prayer time, carpets are collected and replaced by other clean carpets by the servants,” he said.

He stated that in order to prevent population density, no publicity and no speeches, eulogies, recitation of Quran and the prayer call will be broadcast in the central courtyards and in addition, health issues through information banners in the central courtyards, especially near the steel window, golden portico, etc. have been installed.

He added that on the verge of the Karamat Ten-Day Celebrations, due to the restrictions created by the outbreak of the virus, most programs are focused on cyberspace and advertisements are not made for the religious programs, and also for the introduction of famous eulogists and speakers who normally would have been invited to the holy shrine for these days.

“In order to protect the health of pilgrims, the sacred places of the holy shrine, including the porticos and courtyards and all places where pilgrims visit, are continuously disinfected by the servants, and disinfectants and masks are offered at these places,” he noted.

According to the head of AQR Sacred Places and Pilgrims Affairs, the distribution of charitable packages among the pilgrims is done with the cooperation and supervision of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, the special arrangement of the seats of the pilgrims transferring cars and their frequent disinfection and purchase and temporary installation of shade tents in the courtyards are among other measures taken by AQR in the current situation to prevent the escalation of the virus outbreak.

Feyzi commented that currently the health servants, with their continuous presence in the courtyards, warn the pilgrims and the neighbors about the observance of health issues saying, “It is possible that we will be exposed more seriously to the virus in the fall and winter and we need to move forward with a well-thought plan and with the cooperation of provincial agencies.”

At the beginning of the meeting, the deputy governor of Khorasan Razavi, the deputy health affairs of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, the deputy health affairs of Imam Reza IRGC and other members expressed their views on the quality of health protocols by AQR.