Pilgrims Start Rituals in Mecca for 2nd Pandemic Hajj

By Staff, Agencies

Pilgrims started to arrive in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Saturday for the second downsized hajj staged during the coronavirus pandemic with only fully vaccinated residents permitted to participate.

The kingdom is allowing 60,000 residents of Saudi Arabia to participate through a lottery, higher than in 2020 but drastically lower than in normal times.

In 2019, some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world participated in the annual hajj -- a key pillar of Islam that is a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Earlier this month, the hajj ministry said it was working on the "highest levels of health precautions" in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

Chosen from more than 558,000 applicants through an online vetting system, the event is confined to those who have been fully vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, according to the hajj ministry.

Pilgrims will be divided into groups of just 20 "to restrict any exposure to only those 20, limiting the spread of infection", ministry undersecretary Mohammad al-Bijawi told official media.

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 507,000 coronavirus infections, including over 8,000 deaths.

More than 20 million vaccine doses against coronavirus have been administered in the country of over 34 million people.

The hajj went ahead last year on the smallest scale in modern history, with authorities initially saying only 1,000 pilgrims would be allowed, before local media said up to 10,000 took part.

In normal years, the pilgrimage packs large crowds into congested religious sites, but even this year's downscaled events are seen as a potential mechanism for contagion.