How has the Hajj been affected by the pandemic?

Considered one of the biggest yearly mass movements of people across the globe, the Hajj pilgrimage sees 2-10 million Muslims travelling to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudia Arabia for prayers at the Kaaba. Saudi Arabia reported a whopping 2.5 million pilgrims entering their country for the pilgrimage in 2019.

But the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has changed everything. The Hajj pilgrimage, for the first time since its start in 1932, was suspended or at least scaled down massively last year. With the pandemic affecting more than a 100 million people globally and having taken more than 2 million lives, Saudi Arabia made the prudent decision to protect the well-being of all potential pilgrims.

Notably, in suspending the Hajj and picking just 1,000 Muslims based in Saudi Arabia itself to perform the rituals, Saudi Arabia prevented a potential super-spreading event that would have caused a resurgence of infections globally once the pilgrims began travelling back to their own countries.

Will the Hajj resume again in 2021?

Saudi Arabia, having handled the pandemic notably well and suspending mass travel for Hajj in 2020, had begun talks of re-starting Umrah pilgrimages in November 2020. Pilgrims performing Umrah began to come into the Kingdom in a regulated manner. A resurgence of COVID-19 cases globally and the entry of the variant COVID-19 strain required a 2 week pause in Umrah, but since then, the Hajj ministry has successfully received 5 million pilgrims – with none having been infected with COVID-19 prior to, during or after their journeys.

This has been possible because of the strict measures that Saudi Arabia has put in place for all Umrah pilgrims, including stringent safe distancing protocol, temperature checks and mandatory quarantine periods. Moreover, the mass entry of the vaccine into global markets has also provided both Saudi and pilgrims with a little more reassurance of protection against the virus.

All these have given Saudi Arabia the confidence and experience necessary to conduct the more mass-scale Hajj pilgrimage this year.

The Hajj is slated to begin approximately on July 17 2021 but in a much more scaled-back manner when compared to the pilgrimages of earlier years. This is necessary to maintain effective crowd control and safe distancing measures and prevent the possibility of mass infections amongst pilgrims.

What are the pandemic control measures implemented for Hajj 2021?

COVID-19 Pre-departure PCR Swab Tests

All visitors to Saudi Arabia, including those who are intending to perform the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages in 2021, will be required to take a COVID-19 pre-departure swab test 24-72 hours prior to their departing flights to Saudi Arabia.

This PCR test is one of the measures most effective against preventing the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus among pilgrims because it precludes the possibility of an infected person even arriving in Saudi Arabia.

Please book your Pre-departure swab tests at a local clinic well in advance to your departure or attend the swab test sessions organised by your Hajj agent. Without certification that you have been tested negative for COVID-19, you will not be allowed to board a flight to Saudi Arabia.

Regular Temperature Checks

Upon arrival to Saudi Arabia, the pilgrims’ temperature will immediately be assessed and if any pilgrim has an elevated temperature or signs of a respiratory infection, they will be tested for COVID-19 once again and barred from proceeding with the Hajj pilgrimage.

These temperature checks will continue throughout the period of the pilgrimage in order to continually assess any possibility of infection in pilgrims. This vigilance is especially necessary and important because of the long incubation period of the COVID-19 virus and the possibility of it not physically presenting in an infected person up to 14 days after infection.

Mandatory Quarantine Upon Arrival

Similarly, the long incubation period of the virus means that a quarantine for all pilgrims will further reduce the risk of letting in someone who has been infected but has somehow tested negative during the pre-departure test. A mandatory 3 days of quarantine has been made compulsory for all Umrah pilgrims as of October 2020 and this quarantine s expected to be imposed on pilgrims during Hajj 2021 as well.

Strict Safe-Distancing Measures

Of all the measures implemented for post-pandemic Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, safe distancing protocol may be the most important of them all and the most difficult to enforce. Safe distancing measures could make all the difference between an isolated case or two of COVID-19 during the pilgrimage or a mass re-infection and super-spreading event that would cause a global resurgence of cases.

In the case of the Hajj and Umrah, the crowd that has famously thronged the Kabba in Mecca, will no longer be untamed – safe distancing measures will mean that pilgrims who come to encircle the Kabba to pray, will have at least a meter of space between them.

Water from the Zamzam well that is traditionally scooped up with the hands by pilgrims to drink will now be packaged in sterilised bottles. Even the pebbles that are thrown to cast away evil, which pilgrims usually gather along their journey, will be provided to the pilgrims ahead of time – packaged and sterilised.

Prayer rugs and attire can no longer be shared among pilgrims as they will have their own unique ones provided to them.

Hand Hygiene Facilitation

Hand sanitizers will be in ample supply at the Hajj this year, with all pilgrims being provided with bottles for personal use and hand sanitizer pumps being stationed at various points along the Hajj pilgrimage route. Pilgrims will be encouraged to sanitize their hands frequently to decrease the chances of COVID-19 infection.

What can you do to keep yourself safe during the Hajj?

If you are planning to embark on the Hajj or even the Umrah pilgrimage this year from Singapore, speak to your Hajj or Umrah travel agents well in advance and secure your visas as the quota for this year has been drastically reduced – where about 1000 pilgrims from Singapore would have been permitted to go for the Hajj in years prior to the pandemic, this year the numbers are likely to be much lower.

Book your pre-departure tests well in advance and make sure that prior to your journey to Saudi Arabia, you do not put yourself at any unnecessary risk for COVID-19 infection. Avoid crowded places in Singapore prior to your journey, wear a mask at all times when in public and maintain hand hygiene.

Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, do adhere strictly to all safe distancing measures implemented by Hajj facilitators and officials. Do not take any chances by inter-mingling with pilgrims of different groups and from various countries. Remember that older pilgrims and those with pre-existing chronic conditions are more at risk of developing complications if they do get infected.

Make sure you sanitize your hands at regular intervals and especially after you touch any surfaces.