COVID-free Hajj: Saudi Arabia reports no cases during pilgrimage
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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, July 22 reported the successful completion of the 2021 Hajj pilgrimage without registering any cases of Covid-19, said Saudi Press Agency.
They also reported this year's Hajj to be free from any other contagious diseases.
Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of Health of Saudi Arabia credited this victory to the health facilities installed in the holy sites where the pilgrimage takes place.
The Ministry of Health set up a mobile field hospital, complete with doctors, nurses, and consultants, to cater to pilgrims in holy sites such as the Arafat area and Namira Mosque. The mobile hospital consisted of 11 beds— two for intensive care, four for inpatient care and five for other medical care.
The sites also had access to high-end ambulances and medical professionals, stated the report.
In 2020 and this year, Saudi Arabia has allowed only Saudi residents to perform pilgrimage in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. In 2019, around 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world performed Hajj. In 2020, however, only 10,000 pilgrims were allowed at the holy sites.
This year, only 60,000 domestic pilgrims performed Hajj. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah added that limiting the number of pilgrims also contributed to the success of a Covid-free Hajj season, reported Xinhua Net.
According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has administered at least 23,384,311 vaccine doses, as of Friday, July 23. Reuters also reported an average of 1,188 new cases reported each day in the Kingdom.