PILGRIMS HEAD TO MECCA FOR 2ND PANDEMIC HAJJ

Sat 17 July 2021:

Pilgrims with only fully vaccinated from around Saudi Arabia have begun traveling to the city of Jeddah where tour operators are set to take them to Mecca for the annual Hajj season.

It is allowing 60,000 residents of Saudi Arabia to participate through a lottery, higher than in 2020 but drastically lower than in normal times. Religious rites will begin on Sunday.

Prior to the pandemic, millions of Muslims from around the world would flock to Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic ritual.

The first scheduled group of pilgrims have safely arrived at the check in reception centre and have been welcomed.

We ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala to accept the Hajj of the Hujjaj, forgive their sins and fulfill their prayers.#haramaininfo #Hajj 1442 pic.twitter.com/s9ZPqpki6V

— 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@HaramainInfo) July 17, 2021

The kingdom seeks to repeat last year’s success that saw no virus outbreak during the five-day ritual but nonetheless caused resentment among Muslims abroad.

The application for a Hajj permit was limited to those aged 18 to 65 years old, those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, those who do not suffer from chronic diseases, and those who will be performing the rite for the first time.

Earlier this month, the hajj ministry said it was working on the “highest levels of health precautions” in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

Workers were shown on the Al-Ekhbariya news channel disinfecting the area in the Grand Mosque around the Kaaba — the focal point of Islam, towards which all Muslims pray — in anticipation of the start of rituals.

On Saturday the faithful will begin circling the Kaaba before officially starting the hajj on Sunday.

LATEST: Hujjaj have started to arrive at Masjid Al Haram in small batches as per their scheduled time slots, to perform Tawaaf Al Qudum (The Tawaf of Arrival). Precautionary measures are to be adhere to, and a trained guide has been allocated for each group.#Hajj 1442 | 2021 pic.twitter.com/g3qfliTM5r

— 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@HaramainInfo) July 17, 2021

Chosen from more than 558,000 applicants through an online vetting system, the event is confined to those who have been fully vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, according to the hajj ministry.

Pilgrims will be divided into groups of just 20 “to restrict any exposure to only those 20, limiting the spread of infection”, ministry undersecretary Mohammad al-Bijawi told official media.

“The biggest challenge of this hajj season will be for it to pass off without any Covid-19 infections,” a doctor working at a hospital in Mecca told AFP by phone.

Worshippers were last year given amenity kits including sterilised pebbles for the “stoning of Satan” ritual, disinfectants, masks, a prayer rug and the ihram, a traditional seamless white hajj garment, made from a bacteria-resistant material.

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 507,000 coronavirus infections, including over 8,000 deaths.

More than 20 million vaccine doses against coronavirus have been administered in the country of over 34 million people.

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