Pilgrims flood Karbala for Arbaeen despite virus fears

KARBALA: Tens of thousands of worshippers have been flooding into Iraq’s Holy City of Karbala despite the COVID-19 pandemic for the Shiite pilgrimage of Arbaeen, one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings.

Iraq had closed its borders to non-residents, allowing only residents to take part in Ashura.

Iraq’s borders opened for Arbaeen but with restrictions on Arbaeen arrivals, in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus.

The virus has hit Iraq hard, with more than 375,000 people infected and almost 9,500 deaths.

In 2019, an estimated 14 million pilgrims flooded Iraq to atend Arbaeen, including about two million from neighbouring Iran.

This year, however, only 1,500 pilgrims per country are being allowed to fly into Iraq, while Iran has been authorised to send an additional 2,500 overland.

“Every day, between six and 10 planes land and more are coming in the days ahead,” said Issa Al Shemmari, airport director in Najaf, another holy city south of Karbala.

In keeping with tradition, Iraqis have been walking to Karbala for Arbaeen from all over the country.

On roads to the city, “mawakib” tents have been erected to provide pilgrims with free food, drink and accommodation.

“We ate along the way and were able to disinfect ourselves,” pilgrim Ali Hadi said, on arrival in Karbala from the southern city of Basra.

Only few of the pilgrims around him wore mouth and nose coverings despite constant appeals from authorities and social distancing was being widely ignored.

Iran on Saturday reimposed measures in the capital Tehran to contain the pandemic, shuting public spaces and cancelling events days ater confirming another record number of cases. The measures were set to last a week. Meanwhile, a member of Israel’s Cabinet has tested positive for the coronavirus as the country remains under lockdown while batling a second wave of infection.

Gila Gamliel, Israel’s environmental protection minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, announced on Twiter Sunday that she had tested positive. She was the fourth minister in Israel’s government to test positive for COVID-19 since March.

“I feel good and hope to recover quickly with God’s help,” she wrote on social media.

The Israeli government imposed a nationwide lockdown on Sept.18 ahead of the Jewish High Holidays in an effort to rein in a runaway outbreak of the coronavirus. The country has one of the highest daily infection rates per capita in the world.