Mecca Pilgrimage Begins with Strict COVID-19 Precautions, Limited Attendance

The live images broadcast on Saudi channels show the faithful who, in small groups, have begun the rites of the pilgrimage by proceeding, as tradition dictates, in 7 circumambulations around the "Kaaba", at the heart of the Grand Mosque of Mecca. While wearing masks, they keep their distance from one another, walking in single file around the cubic structure towards which Muslims around the world turn for their prayers, under the watchful eye of police and other officials.

Unlike the usual crowd of pilgrims who filled the grand mosque, only small groups authorized to participate in the restricted pilgrimage this year find themselves as if lost in the small mosque. For this year as well, the foreign press has not been allowed to cover this global media event. According to the Hajj authorities, only about 1,000 pilgrims residing in the kingdom would be allowed this year, as well as local media, for a total of around 10,000, compared to 2.5 million faithful who performed the rites in 2019.

On site, the health authorities are working to protect the pilgrims from the dangers of the pandemic. They were subjected to health checks and placed in quarantine upon arrival in Mecca this weekend. As for their luggage, it has been disinfected, according to images presented by the local media. This year, as a precaution, the pilgrims have also not been allowed to touch the Kaaba, in order to limit the risk of infection.

The authorities claim to have deployed mobile clinics and ambulances on the ground to deal with any eventuality. In this Middle Eastern Kingdom, which has recorded around 270,000 cases of infection with the new coronavirus, one of the highest rates in the Middle East, only 70% of the pilgrims are foreign residents in the kingdom.

According to the Ministry of Hajj, all the faithful have each received a kit containing sterilized pebbles for the ritual of stoning Satan, disinfectants, masks, a prayer mat and a seamless white garment called "ihram" that every pilgrim must wear for the rituals. Moreover, the Saudi government covers most of the expenses including accommodation and meals. The Saudi government is about to lose the $12 billion that the Hajj and Umrah normally bring in.