Hotels With A Capacity Of 1,000 People In Saudi That Are Prepared If There Are Pilgrims Who Are Positive For COVID-19

JAKARTA - The Saudi Arabian Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH) has prepared a hotel with a capacity of 1,000 people for the isolation of members of the Indonesian congregation who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Holy Land but have no symptoms of illness.

"This year, for the first time, we provide an isolation hotel that will be used if there are positive but asymptomatic pilgrims in Mecca and Medina. The capacity provided is one percent of the total pilgrims", said the Head of the Integrated Hajj Information and Computerization System (Siskohat) of the Ministry of Religion, Hasan Affandi, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, quoted from Antara.

In addition to setting up isolation hotels, the government is preparing a health insurance scheme for members of the congregation who are infected with COVID-19 and require medical treatment at the hospital.

However, Hasan hopes that all members of the Indonesian congregation are in good health until they return to the country.

"We hope that hotels and insurance schemes will not be used", he said, Friday, June 10.

After implementing very strict restrictions on the implementation of the pilgrimage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia allowed one million people from within and outside the country to perform the pilgrimage with looser restrictions during the Hajj season of 2022 or 1443 Hijri.

Indonesia in 2022 gets a quota to send 100,051 people to the Holy Land to perform the pilgrimage.

Even though Saudi Arabia has relaxed the restrictions, Hasan reminded Indonesian pilgrims to continue implementing health protocols to avoid the transmission of COVID-19.