Tuesday 11 June 2013

No travel restrictions to Saudi Arabia over coronavirus scare

Health deputy director general (Public Health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman.
No travel restrictions have been imposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on travel to Saudi Arabia following the recent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) scare but the Health Ministry is taking the needed precautions.

Health deputy director general (Public Health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said that the Health Ministry was taking the necessary precaution by increasing communications with travel agencies for the Umrah and potential Haj travellers.

"We are ready for the Ramadan season," he said in a press conference after its excellent service awards ceremony here on Tuesday.

Dr Lokman also said that the Ministry had also enhanced its surveillance capacity and increased the capacity of its laboratories to detect the virus.

On June 5, the WHO issued a guidance on update to travel recommendations for MERS-CoV that WHO published on May 20.

Since September 2012, more than 50 cases of MERS-CoV have been identified globally and about half of these people had died.

All cases identified so far have had either a direct or indirect connection with the Middle East.

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