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Indonesia cancels haj pilgrimage over coronavirus scare

Indonesia has cancelled the haj pilgrimage this year for people in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation

By Newsd
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Due to rising concerns over coronavirus, Indonesia has cancelled the haj pilgrimage this year for people in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, the religious affairs minister said on Tuesday.

For many Indonesians, a religious pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime event, with the average wait time 20 years due to a quota system, according to the country’s cabinet secretariat.

Saudi authorities have already said the haj and umrah pilgrimages which attract millions of travellers from around the world will remain suspended until further notice.

Fachrul Razi, Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, said the decision to cancel hajj this year was made due to concerns over the coronavirus and ongoing travel restrictions.

The quota for Indonesian pilgrims this year was 221,000, with more than 90 per cent already registered to go, according to the religious affairs ministry website.

For the uninitiated, coronavirus tally in India surges to 1,98,370, and the death toll has risen to 5,600 on Monday. On the first day of India’s unlocking phase, the number of fresh infections dipped slightly to 7,573, while the death toll remained above 200 for the fourth straight day. Delhi has sealed its borders for a week amid a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases.

Indonesia’s inflation slips to lowest in 20 years

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