SAN FRANCISCO, July 06, (THEWILL) – Saudi Arabia, on Monday, said workers would ensure there is no overcrowding or gathering during the 2020 pilgrimage, adding that pilgrims must wear face masks at all times.
The kingdom has drastically curtailed the pilgrimage amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying that only the few thousands who reside in the country could perform the Hajj, scheduled for July ending.
Saudi Arabia’s Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SaudiCDC) released a list of instructions for pilgrims and workers to follow.
According to the list, space of one-and-a-half metres between each pilgrim must be observed during prayers or other rituals, at restaurants or inside tents.
It also said people will not be allowed to touch the Kaaba, the cube-shaped, black-clad shrine at Makkah’s Grand Mosque and pilgrims are banned from sharing personal items such as clothes, phones and towels.
Buses transporting pilgrims from one holy site to another must be occupied at 50-per-cent capacity, as each pilgrim will be assigned the same seat throughout the Hajj.
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Also, at restaurants, only pre-packaged meals would be available as well as single-use bottles filled with water from the holy Zamzam well.
Saudi Arabia banned pilgrims from outside the kingdom in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The kingdom has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Arab world, with more than 200,000 infections.
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