Deputy Minister Of Religion: 1,023 People Have Departed To Saudi Arabia For Umrah

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JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Religion (Wamenag) Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi said as many as 1,023 people have left for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah as of Saturday, January 8.

"As of Tuesday (11/1) 1,023 Umrah pilgrims have been dispatched to Saudi Arabia," he said, quoted by Antara, Thursday, January 13.

He said that of the more than 1,000 people who departed, 870 of them carried out a centralized health screening at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in Jakarta, before flying to the Holy Land.

Umrah pilgrims who arrived in Saudi Arabia, he said, had been tested negative through a PCR swab test. Currently, the majority of Indonesian Umrah pilgrims are undergoing a five-day quarantine in accordance with the provisions of the local COVID-19 health protocol.

"For five days starting from the moment of arrival. Information and reports from the Umrah Travel Organizer (PPIU) that the results of the first PCR during quarantine for the arrival of Umrah pilgrims in Saudi Arabia were all negative for COVID-19," he said.

He explained that the Umrah pilgrims departing from the Jakarta Hajj Dormitory used two direct airlines, namely Lion Air and Saudia Arabia Airlines. While one airline, Emirates Airlines, had to transit.

Another flight uses Qatar Airlines which contains pilgrims who carry out health monitoring outside the Jakarta Hajj Dormitory or do not follow the Umrah rules from the Ministry of Religion.

"There are pilgrims who are not dispatched through the 'One Gate Policy'," he said.

The Deputy Minister of Religion emphasized that the Ministry of Religion always warns pilgrims who will leave for Saudi Arabia to continue to comply with health protocols, in order to minimize the potential for contracting COVID-19. Especially now that the Omicron variant appears, which is considered to be faster in transmission.

"The Ministry of Religion always provides education so that pilgrims always obey all health protocols imposed by the two countries, maintain order, health and security," said Zainut.