Isoman Asked For Indonesian Hajj Candidates 10 Days Before Flying To The Holy Land

Illustration of the pilgrimage. (Antaranews)

BABEL - Pilgrims who have been confirmed to be in the Holy Land this year are asked to self-isolate (isoman) for ten days before departure in order to anticipate being exposed to COVID-19.

The appeal was conveyed by the Head of the Hajj and Umrah Organizing Section at the Belitung Regency Ministry of Religion, Bangka Belitung (Babel) Islands Province, Suyanto.

"We urge prospective pilgrims to isolate themselves and reduce interactions before departure in order to anticipate being exposed to COVID-19," said Suyanto in Tanjung Pandan, Babel, Thursday, June 9.

According to him, self-isolation is very important for every congregation to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 before leaving for the Holy Land.

He said this was done because the Government of Saudi Arabia required prospective pilgrims to have a negative PCR test result for 72 hours before departure.

"Three days before departure, all pilgrims and their companions will take the PCR test organized by the Health Service at the Marsidi Judono Hospital," he said.

He hoped that the results of the PCR examination of all prospective hajj pilgrims in the area were negative so that they could be sent to the Holy Land.

"So for the sake of the negative test results, we hope that the congregation will start reducing interaction and socialization and not traveling, staying at home," he said.

According to Suyanto, 109 prospective pilgrims from Belitung will depart on June 27.

"On June 27, the congregation left for Pangkal Pinang to stay overnight there, then headed to Palembang the next day and departed for Jeddah via Palembang at 13.40 WIB," he said.