The middle East Kingdom, Saudi Arab announces to carry out the major religious practice of Hajj in coronavirus pandemic with a very small number of people allowed in order to observe social distancing.
Lockdown due to the coronavirus started in the month of March and proved to be a nightmare for religious people. People around the world feared to be unable to attend religious practices that were a crucial part of their lives.
Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five fundamental “pillars” that hold Islam together. Every year, millions of people leave their homes and come together to practice their religions and renew their faiths in Mecca during Hajj timing.
But this year is different as we are all under the constant threat of coronavirus pandemic. Muslim countries around the world advised their people to observe prayers at their homes when the lockdown started.
However, Hajj is not like every other prayer and has special importance in the Muslim world. Keeping that in mind, the Saudi government just decided that they will try their best to efficiently organize Hajj this year.
However, instructions involve that a very small number of people will be allowed to come to maintain health standards and risk of the disease spread form pilgrims overseas.
The decision came after Saudi Arab decided to renounce its national isolation propaganda and start business activities in order to preserve its economy this Sunday.
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Hajj in coronavirus pandemic is going to be one hell of a trial for the Kingdom. A detailed plan is yet to come in order to manage people coming from international locations.
Also, quarantine centers are crucial for making sure about no transmission of COVID-19 by the people from outside. A proper disinfection strategy should be there for travel services and Masjid-ul-Haram.
If they make any small mistake, consequences can affect the whole nation very badly. The Kingdom is already struggling with more than 150,000 cases.
It is obvious that Hajj this time will be much more arduous for people than it was before as they will not be allowed to move around freely. They will have to live in the quarantine center camps and travel on foot mostly.
It is big news for Muslims around the world and is going to be a first-come-first-serve practice to cater to a smaller number of people in Hajj. They may also filter people depending upon their health records and country conditions.
There is still no news on how they will observe testing and quarantine sessions and whether it will happen in the parent countries as well or not.
However, people will surely abide by health restrictions if they are to come. Hajj in coronavirus pandemic is definitely going to be a challenging endeavor.
