Hajj Pilgrimage canceled due to coronavirus pandemic

AKIPRESS.COM - Hajj Pilgrimage 2020 has been canceled due to coronavirus pandemic, the Central Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan told AKIpress.
The Central Administration referred to a letter from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia.
"Hajj Pilgrimage
"Hajj in 2020 will be very limited allowing people living in Saudi Arabia to take part in pilgrimage that begins in late July. Pilgrimage for people living beyond Saudi Arabia is canceled," the Central Administration said.
Kyrgyzstan received 6,110 quotas from Saudi Arabia for 2020.
"It was decided to hold the pilgrimage this year with very limited numbers ... with different nationalities in the kingdom," the official Saudi Press Agency said on Monday, citing the Hajj ministry.
The decision comes in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases around the world, the lack of a vaccine and difficulty maintaining a safe physical distance among large numbers of pilgrims coming from overseas, the statement said.
More than two million people perform the annual pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca every year, including many travelling from abroad.