Hajj

Hajj is forbidden to touch the Kaaba and the Black Stone

Saudi Arabia announces the Covid-19 health protocol for Hajj pilgrims this year, including prohibiting worshippers from touching the Kaaba and the Hajar Aswad among a number of other health protocols.

Saudi Arabia decided to limit the number of pilgrims around 1,000 and only for the Saudi and non-Saudi residents in the kingdom, to prevent the spread of corona viruses after prohibiting Muslims from overseas worship of Umrah because of the plague.

According to the Reuters report, July 6, 2020, touching the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, will be banned during the Hajj this year, and mandatory physical distance of one and a half meters between the pilgrims during the hajj including the congregation of worshippers and Tawaf, according to the Center Statement of Disease Prevention and Control of Saudi Arabia (Weqaya).

In addition, access to the holy Hajj sites in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat will be limited to those who have hajj permits from Sunday, July 19th to August 2nd, 2020, and are obliged to wear masks all the time for both worshippers and staff of hajj officers.

Saudi Arabia's minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mohammed Saleh Benten, said the decision to limit the number of worshippers aims to protect people above all, who have been the royal priority since the start of the pandemic.

Guidelines and signs of health encouragement should be placed in all areas and written in a variety of languages that include a warning of Covid-19 infections, hand washing protocols, sneezing etiquette and coughs, and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Arab News reported.

Organizers must arrange the pilgrims in the Tawaf area around the Kaaba to reduce the density while complying with a distance of 1.5 meters between each person. Organizers in the Holy Mosque must ensure that worshippers are disseminated on all Sa'i floors (small running rituals between Safa and Marwa) and place street lines to maintain social distance while ensuring that the floors around the Kaaba and Sa'i are cleaned before and after each group doing TAWAAF.

Touching the Holy Kaaba and the Black stone will be banned, barricades will be placed to prevent reaching the site and the mosque's carpet was not installed to allow worshippers to use their personal sajadah to reduce the likelihood of spreading the infection.

While food will not be allowed in the mosque.

All personnel, guides, worshippers, and temperature checker staff must be examined, as well as wear masks and face protection equipment at all times. Floor signs should be placed in locations such as baggage collection areas, restaurants and stops with a half-metre distance between each floor sign.

Regarding the protocols for Arafat and Muzdalifah, worshippers must adhere to the social distance at any time, wearing masks and organizers must ensure that no more than 10 worshippers are located in the tent of 50 square meters, ensuring a distance of 1.5 meters between each congregation. Worshippers must adhere to the road directions and organizers must be vigilant and ensure that all worshippers remain compliant with the rules of social distance.

Organizers must collect no more than 50 pilgrims heading to the Jamarat (stone pillars) to throw the Jumrah per group and the disinfected and packaged gravel will be provided for worshippers.

Those suspected of having an infection would be allowed to do hajj only after being evaluated and cleaned by a physician. They will be allocated into certain groups of suspected cases, placed in designated accommodation, and in buses with rails designated to accommodate their conditions. "

The Weqaya protocol also suggests that no personnel are allowed to work if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, cold, sore throat, or sudden loss of smell or taste) until symptoms are lost and healed by a physician.

A round of disinfectant and sanitation must be scheduled and organized to ensure surfaces such as door handles and desks in reception areas, public seating areas, and waiting areas are cleaned at all times.

Sanitizer should be placed next to the ATM, Touch screen guide machine, and vending machine while all print magazines and newspapers should be eliminated to reduce the likelihood of transmission.

Workers in pilgrims ' accommodation should always wear face masks. Guests must wear a mask when leaving their room and the worker must disinfect and clean all the items upon arrival.

Packaged food will be served to the worshippers. Food-distributing workers should follow strict protocols that include handwashing of not less than 40 seconds using soap and water during their shifts, and if there is no water or soap, the staff must use an alcohol-based cleanser instead for no less than 20 seconds.

Weqaya also establishes a protocol to reduce the rate of transmission in restaurants and stops. Water cooling should be discontinued in the Grand Mosque and holy sites and every bottle of Zamzam water will be available and distributed to the pilgrims at any time .

Source: https://bbc.in/2CfLcKB