COVID-19: WHO backs Saudi Arabia's decision to hold limited Haj 2020!

• WHO chief Tedros says this is an example of a difficult decision a country has to make to put public health first.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has backed Saudi Arabia's decision to massively limit the number of Haj pilgrims this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, almost 2.5 million worshippers from across the globe took part in the pilgrimage.

But this week, Saudi Arabia said just 1,000 people, who are already living in the Kingdom, would be able to perform the pilgrimage.
"As some countries start to reopen their societies and economies, the question about how to hold gatherings of large numbers of people safely has become increasingly important," WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said. "This is especially true of one of the world's largest mass gatherings, the annual Haj pilgrimage."

He added that the move was correct on the basis of risk assessment in adherence to WHO's guidelines to protect the safety of pilgrims and reduce the risk of coronavirus.

Speaking in Geneva, Switzerland, during WHO's daily coronavirus press briefing, Tedros said WHO welcomed Saudi Arabia's announcement, while also acknowledging that countries worldwide face hard decisions while putting public health at the top of their agendas.

He said: "We understand that it was not an easy decision to make and we also understand it is a major disappointment for many Muslims who are looking forward to making their pilgrimage this year. This is another example of the hard choices that all countries must make to put health first."