Pilgrims will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing rules during their religious rituals
Around 10,000 people were selected to take part in a lottery system that left many people disappointed
Those taking part in the hajj were subject to quarantine and temperature checks as they arrived in Mecca
Muslim pilgrims will today begin a dramatically downsized hajj as the Saudi hosts strive to prevent a coronavirus outbreak during the five-day pilgrimage.
Pilgrims will be required to wear masks and worship at a social distance as they complete one of the five pillars of Islam – which is usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.
This year only 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom will participate in the annual ritual, a tiny fraction of the 2.5million pilgrims from around the world that attended last year.
This year’s pilgrims were chosen through a lottery system organized by the Saudi government which left many people disappointed, but some successful applicants say they feel safer without the usual massive crowds.
There are no security-related concerns in this pilgrimage, but (downsizing) is to protect pilgrims from the danger of the pandemic,’ said Khalid bin Qarar Al-Harbi, Saudi Arabia’s director of public security.
Pilgrims will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing during a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in the holy city of Mecca and its surroundings in western Saudi Arabia.
Those selected to take part in the hajj were subject to temperature checks and placed in quarantine as they began trickling into Mecca at the weekend.
State media showed health workers sanitizing their luggage, and some pilgrims reported being given electronic wristbands to allow authorities to monitor their whereabouts.
Workers, clutching brooms and disinfectants, were seen cleaning the area around the Kaaba, the structure at the center of the Grand Mosque draped in gold-embroidered cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.
Hajj authorities have cordoned off the Kaaba this year, saying pilgrims will not be allowed to touch it, to limit the chances of infection.
They also reported setting up multiple health facilities, mobile clinics, and ambulances to cater to the pilgrims.
The foreign press are barred from this year’s hajj, usually a huge global media event, as the government tightens access to Mecca.
Saudi authorities initially said only around 1,000 pilgrims residing in the kingdom would be permitted for the hajj, but local media reports say as many as 10,000 will be allowed to take part.
Some 70 percent of the pilgrims are foreigners residing in the kingdom, while the rest will be Saudi citizens, authorities said.
All worshippers were required to be tested for coronavirus before arriving in Mecca and will also have to quarantine after the pilgrimage as the number of cases in the kingdom nears 270,000 – one of the largest outbreaks in the Middle East.
