Mask-clad Muslims gathered at Saudi Arabia’s holiest site for a hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday that has been massively scaled down because of the coronavirus pandemic, as the US, China and India registered alarming new figures.

The hajj in Mecca is usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings and last year attracted 2.5 million visitors, but this year a maximum of 10,000 people will take part.

All worshippers are being tested before arriving at the site and will have to quarantine after the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which has one of the largest outbreaks in the Middle East.