MAKKAH — There haven't been any reports of cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) among pilgrims, the Ministry of Health has announced. Health Minister Khaled Al-Falih said all pilgrims were given medical checks before being allowed to enter Makkah and Madinah and all were free of coronavirus. “Coronavirus infection rates had risen in the beginning of August but the rate has declined again during the past few weeks. By mid-August, there were 70 patients with coronavirus and now there are only 40,” said Al-Falih. He added the ministry is taking all necessary preventive measures to ensure that no external infections of the virus enter the Kingdom. Meanwhile, East Arafat Hospital Director Ahid Aqeel said the ministry has provided 106 beds for coronavirus patients. “We have nine beds in the emergency ward for patients undergoing diagnosis for the virus and we also have an isolation ward for infected patients. The ward has an intensive care facility and can accommodate up to 52 patients at a time,” said Aqeel. The ministry also has a mobile lab where patients can receive test results on the virus within six hours. “The hospital has a total of 236 beds and is ready to receive patients and give them swift and efficient treatment so their Haj journey is not interrupted. Given the heat of this Haj season, we are expecting pilgrims to come in with heat strokes. We have 45 beds dedicated to patients of heat stroke. The ministry also provided fans and sprinklers to limit the number of heat stroke patients,” said Aqeel. The hospital has 19 other wards and clinics for non-emergency cases. “We have 394 medical staff members working around the clock to ensure health and safety of pilgrims,” he added.
