Cairo: Muslim pilgrims, who have met health conditions to attend this year's Hajj season, have started a week-long domestic isolation under a strict health protocol to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, the Saudi news agency SPA reported Monday.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has said that health criteria are the main determinant for selecting the pilgrims who will perform the upcoming Hajj, set to begin later this month, as the kingdom is battling to contain the highly infectious ailment.
The pilgrims will undergo coronavirus testing before allowed to go to the holy city of Mecca. They will have to place themselves under domestic isolation after the end of the Hajj rituals as a preventive measure against COVID-19.
Saudi Arabia has announced that 70 of this year’s pilgrims will be expatriate residents while the remaining 30 per cent will be Saudis. The maximum number of participating pilgrims has been set at 10,000 to ensure a safe Hajj for all.
The expatriates wishing to perform this year’s Hajj had to meet certain health conditions. They should not be sufferers of any chronic diseases, and provide a negative PCR test proving that they are free of coronavirus. The applicants should not have previously performed the Hajj, should be aged between 20 to 50 years, and sign a pledge to adhering to the quarantine period before and after performing the Hajj rituals.
The 30 per cent of Saudi pilgrims are, meanwhile, limited to Saudi health practitioners and security men who have recovered from COVID-19. They are selected from a database of recovered patients, in recognition of their role during the battle against the virus provided they meet the related health criteria.
Last month, Saudi Arabia announced holding this year’s Hajj with a very limited number, confined to Saudis and non-Saudis of all nationalities who are already residing in the kingdom.
More than 2 million Muslims usually perform the Hajj every year. The Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars. Muslims are expected to perform it at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able.
