Hajj 2021: Fully vaccinated pilgrims take the holy pilgrimage

Muslim pilgrims fully vaccinated against covid-19 are seen participating in the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Earlier, the pilgrimage barred worshippers from abroad for the second consecutive second year due to the coronavirus pandemic and has also restricted entry from inside the kingdom.

Muslim pilgrims vaccinated against Covid-19 gathered on Sunday for the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which has barred worshippers from abroad for a second year running due to the pandemic and has also restricted entry from inside the kingdom. Credit: Reuters Photo

Clad in white and carrying umbrellas against the blistering summer sun, 60,000 Saudi citizens and residents are performing the rite, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it, compared with some 2.5 million in 2019. Credit: Reuters Photo

Saudi Arabia, which last year allowed a few thousand to perform the hajj, is home to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, and the country strives to ensure a peaceful hajj, which has been marred in the past by deadly stampedes, fires and riots. Credit: Reuters Photo

With the coronavirus the main concern this year, authorities have restricted access to pilgrims aged 18 to 65 who have been fully vaccinated or immunised against the virus and do not suffer from chronic diseases. Credit: Reuters Photo

Thermal cameras at entrances to the Grand Mosque monitor people's temperatures. Around 3,000 electric carts have been provided for pilgrims, who also wear electronic identification bracelets connected to GPS. Credit: Reuters Photo

Small groups of pilgrims wearing masks have been circling the Kaaba - a stone structure that is the most sacred in Islam - as health professionals monitor their movements. Credit: Reuters Photo

The pilgrims then made their way to Mina, 7 km northeast of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, where they will spend the day in prayer before heading to Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammad gave his last sermon. Credit: Reuters Photo

Muslim pilgrim shave their heads on the second day of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, after throwing stones at a pillar symbolising Satan during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Credit: Reuters Photo

Pilgrims rest inside their tent in the Mina area during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Credit: Reuters Photo

Pilgrims wash their bodies outside their tents in the Mina area during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia Credit: Reuters Photo

An official checks the ID and permits of pilgrims as they arrive in the Mina area for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in Mecca. Credit: Reuters Photo