Hajj Candidates With Positive COVID-19 PCR Test Results Delayed Departure To The Holy Land

Illustration of the Hajj in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Between)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) announced that the 2022 Indonesian Hajj candidates whose PCR swab test results are positive will be postponed to the Holy Land. "The results of our coordination with the Ministry of Religion for pilgrims who experience delays will be included in the next batch," said Head of the Hajj Health Center, Ministry of Health, Dr Budi Sylvana at a press conference that was attended online in Jakarta, Thursday, June 2. He added that if at the time of departure, the last day of the PCR swab test results for the pilgrims were still positive, then it was possible that they would be included in the departure the following year. He reminded prospective pilgrims to prepare negative results of PCR swab tests whose samples came out of 72 hours. He added that if within 72 hours the PCR test results of prospective pilgrims have not been received, then they cannot be dispatched. especially by officers in conveying related to the time of the PCR swab test," he said.

Sylvana also said that as many as 95.7 percent or 95,702 prospective pilgrims have met the requirements to be sent to the Holy Land. 95.7 percent of the pilgrims can be said to be ready to depart," he said. Sylvana added, his party is still continuing to carry out health checks for pilgrims who have not met the health requirements. Saudi Arabia has set the quota for Indonesia's Hajj in 2022 to only 100,051 people. That number consists of 92,825 quotas for regular pilgrims, 7,226 quotas for special pilgrims, and 1,901 quota for officers. All of them are reduced from the normal quota so there are pilgrims who have paid off in 2020 but have not been able to leave in 2022.