With MERS threat, Morocco advises against Hajj
Robert Roos
CIDRAP News
Jun 18, 2014
Morocco’s health minister has advised Muslims in his country not to go on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year, given the threat of MERS-CoV, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report today.
The minister, Lahoucine Louardi, issued the advice yesterday, the same day the World Health Organization (WHO) said MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) remains a serious concern, particularly in view of the large number of pilgrims expected to go to Saudi Arabia this summer and fall, AFP reported. WHO experts said the disease is not an international health emergency, however.
Last week the Moroccan health ministry advised the sick and the frail to postpone trips to Saudi Arabia, the story said. But yesterday in a speech to parliament, Louardi broadened the warning, saying, “We advise pilgrims not to travel to the Holy Sites.” A source at the health ministry confirmed the recommendation.
Louardi said he decided to make the recommendation after consulting with several parties, including the WHO and Arab health ministers, AFP reported. The story said Morocco has a 2014 quota of 25,600 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
The WHO does not currently call for any travel restrictions related to MERS-CoV. But the agency says that those who have preexisting medical conditions should consult a healthcare provider before going on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, given the risk of severe illness if they contract the virus.
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