Health: Corona virus threatens 100,000 Algerian pilgrims during Ramadan

Over 100,000 Algerian pilgrims intend to visit the holy sites in Ramadan to perform Umrah, which threatens a lot of them with corona virus, according to the warnings of the Saudi Hadj Ministry, which express great fear from the virus spread during Ramadan Umrah, that attracts millions of people from many countries on the world, communication official at the Algerian Federation of Travel Agencies, Ilyas Senousdi told Echorouk.

“Possibility of infection with the corona virus among Algerian pilgrims is very big, and with terrible numbers, especially as the number of Algerian pilgrims in this Ramadan will exceed for the first time 100,000 pilgrims, including elderly, pregnant women and kids.”

“Travel Agencies launched an awareness campaign to convince the largest number of elderly and patients to postpone this year’s Umrah due to the continuing spread of corona virus, especially in Ramadan, as the holy sites noticed a large overcrowding, forcing the Saudi authorities to take new measures to reduce the number of pilgrims due to the construction works and corona virus”.

For its part, Health Ministry, prepared a new plan to receive the potential cases of corona virus within Algerian pilgrims, that relies on obligatory and quick analysis for each pilgrim who enters Algeria, especially elderly, chronic diseases patients and pregnant women, in addition to requiring the health card for each pilgrim carrying the doctor’s seal”.

In this context, Health Minister, Abdelmalek Biudiaf, said his ministry created two laboratories which contain high tech equipment to combat viruses, and allow Algerian doctors to conduct researches on various viruses that threaten Algeria including corona virus, in light of the potential cases after Ramadan Umrah and Hadj.

“An instruction was sent to the directorates of health and hospitals to raise the state of high alert to receive the potential cases after Ramadan Umrah, through allocating special medical rooms that are equipped with the necessary technology to provide quick and affective treatment for patients.”