Muslim pilgrims walk in a street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on August 18, 2018, ahead of the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Muslim pilgrims walk in a street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on August 18, 2018, ahead of the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The six-day Hajj, which starts on August 19, is one of the five pillars of Islam, an act all Muslims must perform at least once if they have the means to travel to Saudi Arabia. / AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE
But this year only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom will participate in the ritual, a tiny fraction of the 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world that attended last year. Those selected to take part in the hajj were subject to temperature checks and placed in quarantine as they began trickling into Mecca at the weekend.
Hajj authorities have cordoned off the Kaaba this year, saying pilgrims will not be allowed to touch it, to limit the chances of infection. The foreign press are barred from this year’s hajj, usually a huge global media event, as the government tightens access to Mecca. All worshippers were required to be tested for coronavirus before arriving in Mecca and will also have to quarantine after the pilgrimage as the number of cases in the kingdom nears 270,000 – one of the largest outbreaks in the Middle East.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
COVID-19: Enugu govt engages citizens on revised 2020 budget estimate - Daily Post NigeriaThe administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday, engaged citizens on the proposal to revise the state's 2020 budget and tailor
Read more »
COVID-19: Borno cuts 2020 budget by 26 percent - The NationBorno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has assented to the 2020 budget.The initial budget of N146, 894,223 has now been reduced..
Read more »
Covid-19: Cross River slashes 2020 budget from N1.1tr to N147.1bnThe Cross River government says the downward review of the 2020 Budget became necessary due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more »
JUST IN: Ortom’s wife tests negative for COVID-19Wife of the governor of Benue state, Mrs. Eunice Ortom has recovered from COVID-19 after spending 14 days in isolation.In a statement...
Read more »
Ortom’s wife recover from COVID-19Governor Samuel Ortom’s wife, Dr. Eunice, has recovered from COVID-19 and discharged from the isolation centre. Mrs Eunice, in a statement on Tuesday, announced that she has been certified ne…
Read more »
Pneumonia leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients – ExpertViral pneumonia is the leading cause of death in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, Dr Bayo Olufunwa, a veteran veterinary doctor, has said. He said there were treatment regimens for the prev…
Read more »