Saudi Arabia restricts the annual Hajj pilgrimage to 60,000 vaccinated citizens and residents of the kingdom in response to the coronavirus pandemic – Saudi state media
In last year’s Hajj, as few as 1,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part in the Hajj.
The Hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims to perform once in their lifetime, is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. Pilgrims fought off a malaria outbreak in 632, cholera in 1821 killed an estimated 20,000, and another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 before spreading worldwide.
The kingdom increased its public health measures during the Hajj in 2012 and 2013, urging the sick and the elderly not to take part.
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