Hajj 2020 to Be Held With ‘Limited Number’ of Pilgrims From All Nationalities Residing in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia on Monday announced that it will hold a "limited" Hajj this year due to the novel coronavirus situation in the world, with pilgrims already staying in the Kingdom allowed to take part in the pilgrimage in late July.
Riyadh, June 23: Saudi Arabia on Monday announced that it will hold a "limited" Hajj this year due to the novel coronavirus situation in the world, with pilgrims already staying in the Kingdom allowed to take part in the pilgrimage in late July. Coronavirus in India Live Map Tracker: Updated State-wise Table of COVID-19 Cases.
"A very limited number of pilgrims from various nationalities who already reside in Saudi Arabia, would be able to perform it. This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols," the official Saudi Press Agency said.
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The major decision was taken due to the COVID-19 situation in the world. Around 2.5 million pilgrims performed Hajj in 2019 but due to the pandemic, people will not be able to travel to Saudia Arabia to take part.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom has started lifting COVID-19 related curfew and reopening mosques in the holy city of Mecca. The night curfew, which was imposed at the end of Ramadan, was lifted on Sunday as the total infection cases stood at 157,612 on Tuesday.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 23, 2020 12:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).