The Deputy Chairman of Committee of Health and Treatment of Iranian parliament Hussein Ali Shehrayari has announced that Iran decided to stop Iranians from going to the holy places to perform Umrah rituals during the blessed month of Ramadan in view of the spread of swine flu disease. In a statement published in Iranian newspapers today, he said "In view of the spread of pandemic influenza virus of type A and the increasing number of people infected with the disease, it is necessary to take precautionary measures for the prevention of this disease".