Ebola screening for travellers to Saudi Arabia
Staff Report
DUBAI - If you are planning to travel to Saudi Arabia, be prepared for stringent checks against the Ebola virus.
Saudi authorities have said Haj pilgrims are being monitored for the Ebola virus at the airports.
"We are checking pilgrims coming on airlines from West and Central Africa, and also from other countries, since pilgrims could have been on transit in the endemic countries and can potentially be carriers of the virus," said Sami Badawood, director general of the Directorate of Health Affairs in Jeddah as quoted by Arab News.
"We don't want to take any chances by allowing infected pilgrims into the Kingdom," Badawood said, adding that the suspected cases will be quarantined immediately and sent to a designated hospital for specialized treatment.
The Health Ministry has also issued an advisory against travel to Liberia, Sierra Leone and New Guinea. The government stopped issuing Haj visas to these countries as an initial step to control the spread of the disease among the pilgrims.
