First batches of pilgrims arrived on Saturday at Al-Masjid AlHaram (the Great Mosque of Makkah) to perform tawaf al-qudoum, the arrival circling of the Kaaba, amid extraordinary health precautions.
The Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umra has set July 17-18 as the date for hosting the pilgrims,tasking a guide for each group of 20 pilgrims. Meanwhile, Usama Al-Hujaili, the director of the gatherings’ affairs at the Great Mosque, said in remarks to the official Saudi Press Agency that necessary preparations to host the devotees had been taken.
Up to 500 personnel have tasked to oversee tawaf al-qudoum and make sure that the pilgrims perform the rites amid the necessary precautions against the novel coronavirus. The authorities have announced that this pilgrimage is restricted to only 60,000 residents of the kingdom, as an extraordinary precaution against COVID-19.
Source- Kuna