No health issues reported among Hajj pilgrims

There have been no health problems so far among pilgrims during Hajj, Ministry of Health spokesman Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Ali said on Thursday.

“It is reassuring … that no cases of coronavirus or any other diseases that affect public health have been reported,” he said during his daily Hajj briefing in Makkah.

He added that the health services are fully prepared and remain on high alert to respond to any problems that arise. There are 1,456 hospital beds available, including 272 for intensive care, 331 for isolation, and more than 200 in emergency departments.

Field teams of healthcare workers were on hand on Thursday, said Al-Ali, as pilgrims climbed Mount Arafat and then moved on to Muzdalifah. In addition to providing any treatment that was required, they also offered support for the preventive measures and precautions that have been implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Lt. Col. Talal Al-Shalhoub, security spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said that the pilgrims were escorted safely to Mount Arafat to perform their rituals, and then to Muzdalifah. He added that security officers are supervising pilgrims to ensure that social distancing and other precautionary health measures are followed. In addition, he said, they have prevented a number of unauthorized individuals from gaining access to the holy sites. Arab News