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. 2021 Mar-Apr;19(2):133-139.
doi: 10.1089/hs.2020.0144. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

COVID-19 Mitigation Plans During Hajj 2020: A Success Story of Zero Cases

Hani Jokhdar  1 , Anas Khan  1 , Sari Asiri  1 , Wael Motair  1 , Abdullah Assiri  1 , Mohammed Alabdulaali  1
Affiliations

COVID-19 Mitigation Plans During Hajj 2020: A Success Story of Zero Cases

Hani Jokhdar et al. Health Secur. 2021 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

The Hajj pilgrimage, held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is among the largest mass gatherings in the world. More than 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims assemble from over 180 countries worldwide to perform Hajj. The Saudi government recognized the potential risks associated with this event since the first novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case was detected in the country on March 2, 2020. The return of possibly infected pilgrims to their countries after this huge mass gathering event could have turned Hajj into a superspreading event during the global COVID-19 pandemic. A multidisciplinary Saudi team from governmental sectors, including the Global Center for Mass Gatherings Medicine, shared in the assessment, planning, execution, and success of this holy event to prevent the spread of disease. The World Health Organization welcomed the Saudi government's decision to protect the wellbeing and safety of pilgrims and strengthen regional and global health security. A total of 1,000 pilgrims from 160 different countries were randomly selected to perform the rituals. Of all the pilgrims, healthcare personnel, and nonmedical employees facilitating the rituals, no confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified during or after Hajj. This article highlights the success of the risk mitigation plan in place during the Hajj pilgrimage in 2020 (1441 Hijri year) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts of the Saudi government to prevent associated outbreaks.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hajj; Mass gatherings; National strategy/policy; Public health preparedness/response.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Timeline of Saudi decisions related to Hajj and Umrah.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Algorithm and results for PCR testing among all Hajj pilgrim candidates.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Algorithm and results for PCR testing among nonpilgrims.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Photos comparing Hajj in 2019 and 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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