Saudi Faces Perilous Hajj Call As COVID-19 Spikes
This picture taken early on May 24, 2020 shows an Imam in a podium while Saudi security forces members, some clad in masks due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, stand between rows of worshippers gathering before the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca to attend the prayers of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which starts at the conclusion of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
A full-scale hajj, which last year drew about 2.5 million pilgrims, appears increasingly unlikely after authorities advised Muslims in late March to defer preparations due to the fast-spreading disease. The hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a major potential source of contagion as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.
A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom’s management of the hajj. “At the last minute if Saudi says ‘we are ready to do a full hajj’, many countries will not be in a position” to participate, he said.
In Saudi hospitals, sources say intensive care beds are fast filling up and a growing number of health workers are contracting the virus as the total number of cases has topped 130,000. Deaths surpassed 1,000 on Monday.
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