More Covid Restrictions in Europe as Global Covid-19 Cases Top 40M

Israel has also lifted Covid restrictions that banned people from traveling more than a kilometer from their homes as well as closing kindergartens, beaches, and national parks.

Israeli mother Talia Zinkin said she was initially unsure whether to send her son back to daycare.

"But I felt he would enjoy being with other children," she told AFP. "We have to try to live normally."

Saudi Arabia eased more of its own virus restrictions when it allowed worshippers to reenter Islam's holiest site for prayers on Sunday for the first time since March.

The Grand Mosque in Mecca is the site of the annual hajj pilgrimage that draws Muslims from around the world but only 10,000 people were allowed to take part this year, a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated last year.

Read also: Saudi Arabia to Resume ‘Umrah’ Pilgrimage from October

The structure will be sterilized before and after each group of worshippers, and thermal sensors have been installed to measure the body temperature of pilgrims.

Veteran chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, the latest political figure to be infected with the virus, is in a "critical" condition and in a medically-induced coma, the Israeli hospital treating him in Jerusalem said Monday. 

(Writer: Dave Clark with AFP bureaus)

Source: http://u.afp.com/3rvD