JAKARTA - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of Aceh Province stated that until now there were around 3,064 people who had delayed their departure for Umrah due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"A total of 3,064 Acehnese people were delayed from leaving for Umrah and are still waiting for a decision from the Government of Saudi Arabia," said the Head of the Special Umrah and Hajj Section of the Aceh Ministry of Religion Azhar in Banda Aceh, reported by Antara, Wednesday, March 17.
He said the Umrah service was temporarily suspended by the Government of Saudi Arabia starting March 2, 2020, then the implementation of the Umrah service was reopened on November 1, 2020.
However, until now there has not been a single Umrah worshiper from the area known as the Veranda of Mecca that has left for the Holy Land during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Meanwhile, the number of Umrah pilgrims who rescedule (rescheduling) is 3,037 people," said Azhar.
He explained that Indonesian Umrah pilgrims began to depart for Umrah on 1, 3 and 8 November 2020 amid the pandemic, with a total of 359 congregations.
They were dispatched by 44 Umrah travel organizers (PPIU). "None of these 44 PPIUs came from Aceh Province," he said.
Then, he continued, on February 1, 2021, the Government of Saudi Arabia closed the door again for the implementation of the Umrah pilgrimage.
Until now, he said, the Indonesian government had not received any information regarding the schedule for reopening the Umrah pilgrimage.
"We hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will pass soon, and the Haj and Umrah trips can be carried out as usual," he said.
Previously, Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said that during the COVID-19 pandemic there had been 1,090 Indonesian pilgrims conducting Umrah pilgrimages to the Holy Land by implementing strict health protocols.
"During this pandemic, there were 1,090 Umrah pilgrims leaving until January 11, from which 112 PPIU departed," said the Minister of Religion in Jakarta, Monday (18/1).
He said the strict protocol enforced for Indonesian Umrah pilgrims was marked by the many criteria a person could perform. Some of the requirements are such as carrying out the PCR swab test repeatedly and quarantine before and after Umrah.
The strict regulation, said the Minister of Religion, was contained in the Decree of the Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia Number 719 of 2020 concerning Guidelines for Organizing Umrah Worship Trips during the Pandemic Period.
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