“As of today, the total number of Hajj pilgrims who have departed for Saudi Arabia is 76,421 people,” spokesperson for the ministry's Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH), Akhmad Fauzin, said while delivering a press statement on the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage implementation here on Tuesday.
He informed that 2,923 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims were scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia in seven batches from five embarkation points on Tuesday.
The seven batches included two batches from Jakarta-Bekasi embarkation point (820 pilgrims), two batches from Surabaya embarkation point (900), one batch from Palembang embarkation point (450), one batch from Solo embarkation point (360), and one batch from Makassar embarkation point (393).
Related news: 447 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims reported sick: ministry
He informed that 93 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims have currently been reported sick. Of the 93 pilgrims, 79 are being treated at the Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic (KKHI) and 14 are being treated at a Saudi Arabian hospital.
So far, 14 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia, he added.
On average, the highest temperature in Saudi Arabia has reached 45 degrees Celsius, he informed. For that reason, the government has continued to remind pilgrims to limit outdoor activities, wear footwear, drink water regularly, and not force themselves to carry out prayers at the Great Mosque of Mecca if they cannot.
“Always wear masks when gathering inside a room, especially at mosques, both at the Prophet's Mosque and the Great Mosque of Mecca,” Fauzin appealed to Hajj pilgrims.
Related news: 49,152 Hajj pilgrims have left for Saudi Arabia: ministry
This year, Saudi Arabia has allowed one million pilgrims from various countries to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Indonesia has been allotted a quota of 100,051 for the pilgrimage.
Although it has given permission to foreign pilgrims to perform Hajj, Saudi Arabia has laid down two conditions for them this year. First, the pilgrims must not be older than 65 years and must have received the full dose of any COVID-19 vaccine approved by the Saudi Health Ministry.
Second, pilgrims traveling from abroad must carry a certificate showing a negative PCR result, with the test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure.
Related news: Indonesian Hajj pilgrims should optimize provided facilities: Ministry
Related news: Govt confirms 72,092 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia
Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
