In April 2022, Saudi Arabia eased COVID-19 restrictions and increased Hajj capacity. One million pilgrims from inside and outside the country are allowed to participate in the Hajj.[6]
Hajj (pilgrimage) has been cancelled 40 times through thehistory of Islam due to disease outbreaks, political disagreements, and battles.[17][18] In 930-940 CE (318-328 AH), Hajj was canceled due to theQarmatian attack, which led to the murder of 30,000 pilgrims and the looting of theBlack Stone.[19][20] In 1831, Hajj was suspended after the arrival of Indian pilgrims in Mecca led to the outbreak of a new plague, which is claimed to have killed more than half of the pilgrims in Mecca.[20] The first outbreak ofcholera in Mecca occurred in 1846, killing more than 15,000 and causing a citywide plague lasting until 1850. A second outbreak of cholera happened in 1858, leading to pilgrims being quarantined inside Hajj camps inEgypt.[18][21]
In February 2020, Saudi Arabia closed the two holy sites ofMecca andMedina to halt the spread of the virus, but reopened in early March. Later, measures were taken by the Saudi government to mitigate an outbreak of COVID-19, such as imposing a 24-hourcurfew in Mecca and Medina.[22][23]
On 23 June 2020, Saudi Arabia announced Hajj would be held for a limited number of pilgrims who resided within the country due to the high risk of COVID-19.[24][25] The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah imposed restrictions to the type of pilgrims who can attend Hajj in 2020, only healthy Saudi residents between the ages of 20 and 50 with noCOVID-19 symptoms were allowed to participate.[26][27][28] Participants had to first apply online, and preference was given to those who had not attended in the past.[29] Pilgrims were chosen from the COVID-19 recovery database, 70% of them were non-Saudi residents.[30]
Only ten thousand pilgrims were expected, as opposed to over two million in previous years.[31]
The SaudiMinistry of Health reported taking serious measures during the Hajj 2020. Pilgrims who were not affected by thevirus were required to quarantine themselves at hotel rooms or at their homes if they lived close enough to Mecca for a week prior to the arrival to perform Hajj.[32] Inside the mosque, pilgrims were asked to maintain a safe social distance of two meters, and were separated into groups of 20 individuals who were accompanied by a guide through their whole Hajj performance.[33]
On 12 June 2021, Saudi authorities banned foreign visitors for the second consecutive year and limited the pilgrimage to 60,000 people. It also imposed as condition that people participating be between the ages of 18 and 65, vaccinated and without chronic diseases.[34][35]
On 6 June 2020, the Indian Hajj Committee announced it would provide refunds to all thepilgrims who were unable to attend Hajj in 2020.[38][39]
On 11 June 2020,Malaysia announced it was barringpilgrims from attending Hajj in 2020 out of concerns over the danger of COVID-19, and the high spreadability of the virus in crowded places.[40][41]
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