Saudi Arabia makes masks compulsory as it announces health measures for Hajj

Saudi Arabia has announced health protocols for this year's Hajj pilgrimage to prevent the spread of coronavirus among visitors and organisers. According to Saudi Arabia Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), pilgrims will have to wear face masks all the time during their visit to the holy site. Social distancing measures will also be imposed between pilgrims during mass prayers and while in the Kaaba circling area. As per the CDC, this year's Hajj will be limited for around 1,000 domestic pilgrims, as Saudi Arabia had earlier announced that international pilgrims will not be allowed due to coronavirus outbreak. 

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The health protocol also states that pilgrims will not be allowed to gather and meetings will be banned in order to ensure minimal physical contact between visitors. Pilgrims are not allowed to touch the Kaaba this year, for the first time in recorded history. Only those with Haj permits will be allowed to visit Mona, Muzdalifah, and Arafat starting July 19 until August 2. This is the first time in modern times when such restrictions have been placed on the Hajj visit and probably the first time when international pilgrims have been banned from visiting the holiest site in Islam. 

Read: Saudi Arabia To Hold Hajj With 'very Limited Numbers' Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases

COVID-19 in Saudi

According to figures by Johns Hopkins University, the oil-rich kingdom has recorded 2,09,509 confirmed cases of coronavirus to date, of which over 1,900 people have lost their lives. Saudi Arabia has fared quite well in comparison to some of the other majorly affected countries across the world, especially when it comes to deaths per million population. The most-affected region in Saudi Arabia is the Makkah province, where over 1,000 people have died so far, followed by the capital Riyadh with more than 480 deaths. Meanwhile, the world has logged in 11.4 million cases and over 5,34,000 deaths as of July 5. 

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