Three Hajj Candidates Positive For COVID-19, Departure Delayed

Prospective Hajj Pilgrims (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Hajj Health Center of the Ministry of Health stated that there were three candidates for the first batch of hajj pilgrims who had to delay their departure to the Holy Land because they tested positive for COVID-19 from the PCR examination. They have to undergo quarantine first.

"Our data shows that there are at least three pilgrims who cannot be departed because the PCR is positive," said Head of the Hajj Health Center of the Ministry of Health, Budi Sylvana at the Pondok Gede Embarkation, Jakarta, Saturday, June 4.

Budi detailed that the three hajj candidates came from two people departing in Jakarta and one departing in Surabaya. They will undergo quarantine for five days and their departure schedule will be shifted to another group.

Later, Hajj candidates who are in the reserve serial number or below will fill the empty seats left by Hajj candidates who previously tested positive for COVID-19.

"The three (pilgrims) are separate, right, well, Jakarta, two (people) Surabaya, one (person), automatically the reserve number goes up, the serial number below it goes up," he said as quoted by ANTARA.

Meanwhile, for the technical aspects of departing Hajj candidates who are positive for COVID-19, they will be isolated for five days and re-tested by PCR on the fourth day of quarantine. If it is negative for COVID-19, the departure schedule will be coordinated with the Ministry of Religion.

"On the fifth day, if it is negative, it can be sent. What is important is that there is an examination that the PCR is negative, it can be sent. Otherwise, the Saudi authorities will refuse. If it is positive, it will not be sent," said Budi.

Meanwhile, Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers at the Ministry of Religion Hilman Latief said as many as 389 hajj candidates from the Pondok Gede Embarkation, Jakarta, started leaving for the Holy Land in the early hours of Saturday for the first batch of flights. This figure consists of 160 men and 229 women from DKI Jakarta.

"This is the first batch from DKI Jakarta to use Soekarno Hatta Airport," said Hilman.

Hilman said the first batch of pilgrims will depart from Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at 06.45 western Indonesia time. They are expected to arrive at Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Medina at 12:10 p.m. Saudi Arabian time.