The Grand Magal of Touba was spared by the COVID-19 pandemic

In the context of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, all mass gathering (MG) events have been cancelled. The Grand Magal took place on October 6, 2020, in Touba, Senegal, which was the only MG event organized in 2020. This Muslim pilgrimage gathers about four million Muslim Mourides from Senegal and beyond. No significant increase in COVID-19 cases was therefore observed at the national level in the weeks following the Grand Magal. This successful strategy is an invitation to better promote community commitments by public authorities in their various strategies. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Automated summary

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Magal event in Senegal, which gathered millions of Muslim pilgrims, did not lead to a significant increase in cases, highlighting the importance of promoting community commitments by public authorities in various strategies.