CAIRO
By Mahmoud al-Husseini
Cairo International Airport authorities on Saturday quarantined two people coming back from Saudi Arabia, where they had performed the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual, on Coronavirus suspicions, a medical source said.
The source, who requested anonymity, told Anadolu Agency that health officials at the airport decided to quarantine the two pilgrims because they had symptoms of cold.
They, the source said, were taken to a fever hospital in central Cairo to undergo the necessary checks.
The source added that concerned authorities had taken information about the people who came in contact with the two pilgrims to make sure that they did not have the same symptoms.
Saudi Arabia said earlier that the Hajj season this year was free from endemic diseases.
Saudi Health Minister Adel bin Mohamed said 170 pilgrims were suspected to have contracted the Coronavirus, but samples taken from them proved negative later.
Also called MERS, Corona first reported in 2012. It has been found in camels in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Egypt.
Like other infectious diseases, MERS spreads quickly in crowded spaces, posing a particular risk during the Hajj. Saudi Arabia said it had taken precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak during the pilgrimage.
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