The annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca next month will be limited to 60,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic and to people living in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi press agency said on Saturday, as authorities host an event that normally attracts millions of people , strictly restrict each year from all over the world.
The event was almost completely abandoned last year when only about 1,000 people with social distancing and masking requirements were able to attend the ritual.
The Hajj, which all physically and financially capable Muslims should complete at least once, is scheduled to begin in mid-July. The press agency announced that participation is limited to vaccinated pilgrims between the ages of 18 and 65.
The Saudi authorities announced last month that the ritual would not return to normal this year. Fahad Nazer, a spokesman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, said on Twitter that “there will be preventive and preventive measures to ensure the health and safety of pilgrims”.
The decision, attributed to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, will disappoint many Muslims, who often save up and wait for years for the pilgrimage in hopes of obtaining a Hajj visa. Getting a spot can be difficult as demand is exceptionally high and Saudi Arabia limits the number of pilgrims who can attend from each country each year.
Saudi Arabia has reported 7,537 coronavirus deaths, according to a New York Times database. It recently reopened to international air travel but also said vaccination will be required to enter most buildings and public transportation as of August.
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In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The country’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, said Saturday that the hospitals in the state capital Kinshasa were “overwhelmed,” Reuters reported. The Congo reported one of the highest daily case numbers since the pandemic began on Friday.
