British Hujjaj expresses concern over MERS in Saudi Arabia

AMMAN — Health experts from the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK, a national Hajj specific organisation, expressed their concern about continuously reported cases of MERS-Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the association on Thursday.

Hajj, the greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, is "round the corner" and over three-million pilgrims from around the world would be converging in the holy city.

The statement cited a report last week that a 73-year-old woman died and four men were infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-Coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the kingdom to 1,082.

Health experts urged prospective pilgrims to follow the guidelines of the World Health Organisation which stated that specific emphasis should be placed on hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene — covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, washing hands after coughing and sneezing, and trying to keep a distance, where possible with suspected infected person.