Covid-19: pilgrims in limited numbers start hajj in Mecca

Published on : 07/17/2021 – 5:14 PM

Hundreds of Muslim worshipers have arrived at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, western Saudi Arabia, to take part, starting this Saturday, July 17, in the great annual pilgrimage, or hajj, marked for the second year in a row. by an ultra-limited quota of pilgrims due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of worshipers divided into small groups began to circle around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure located at the heart of the mosque and which Muslims around the world turn to for prayer. This practice, called “tawaf” in Arabic, marks the beginning of the hajj, before the official launch of the rites which will begin on Sunday.

Only 60,000 Saudis and foreigners resident in the kingdom and vaccinated were allowed to participate in the hajj. In 2020, at the height of health restrictions and before the vaccination race, barely ten thousand faithful had been able to carry out it.

Before the pandemic, the event brought together some 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world to take part in what was one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

Strict sanitary measures

On Saudi television channels, interviews with officials follow one another to insist on the restrictions put in place. Local media broadcast footage of workers spraying the Grand Mosque site with disinfectants on Friday.

The pilgrims will be divided into groups of 20 people to “limit the spread of the virus” in case any of them are infected, Saudi official Mohammed al-Bijaoui said on television.

In addition to strict social distancing measures, the Hajj Ministry introduced an “electronic hajj card” allowing contactless access to campsites and hotels for pilgrims and transport to religious sites.

Robots will be used to distribute sacred water bottles and pilgrims will not be able to touch the Kaaba.

No cases of Covid-19 in 2020

The great pilgrimage, which takes place once a year, is one of the five pillars of Islam that Muslims must accomplish at least once in their lifetime if their health and finances permit.

Last year, the hajj was held with the smallest number of worshipers in the modern history of this gathering, only around ten thousand.

The ban on pilgrims coming from abroad for the second year in a row, supported by Islamic institutions in the Sunni world, however, caused discontent among many Muslims.

But the health restrictions had paid off: no case of Covid-19 had been reported, the authorities having put in place severe restrictions and distributed sterilized kits including disinfectants, masks, a prayer mat and an ihram, the garment. traditional white hajj.

This year again, the Ministry of Hajj has assured it wants to comply with “the highest levels of health precautions” in the face of the spread of new variants.

Only vaccinated residents, aged 18 to 65 and not suffering from any chronic illness, can participate this year.

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 500,000 infections, including more than 8,000 deaths. About 20 million doses of vaccine have been administered in this country of more than 34 million people.

With AFP