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2-pronged strategy to wipe out MERS

May 3, 2014

MERS_wipe_outRiyadh/Jeddah, May 3: Seven fresh cases of coronavirus (MERS-CoV) were reported on Friday bringing the total number of infected cases in the Kingdom to 378 including 107 deaths since September 2012.

No fatalities due to the virus have been reported in any part of the Kingdom on Friday, said a Health Ministry official.

Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih, meanwhile, said his ministry was currently focusing on a two-pronged approach to prevent and treat coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and to offer the best health care services to the people in the Kingdom.

He was addressing the directors of the 20 health regions and other concerned officials on ways to combat the disease.

Members of the National Scientific Committee for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases, officials from the ministries of interior, higher education, municipal affairs, National Guard, defense and private health sector executives attended the meeting.

According to the ministry official, the seven new cases reported during the past 24 hours included four in Riyadh and three in Jeddah.

He said four of them are stable, while two were in critical condition and undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) while the seventh patient was still under observation.

In Riyadh, three women aged 31, 28 and 50 have been affected with the disease and the fourth is a 28-year-old man who contracted the disease from an infected patient and is currently being treated at a private hospital where his condition is reported to be stable.

In Jeddah, two women of 38 and 28 years of age were reported to be infected with the virus and their condition is reported to be stable.

A 60-year-old man who is currently under treatment at a private hospital is reported to be critically ill at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital in Jeddah.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Fakeih urged his officials to make more field visits to ensure proper health care during this period of crisis.

The minister thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his concern toward offering the best health care services to the people in the Kingdom.

Spelling out the noble practices in health services, Fakeih said the officials should pay attention to the values of sincerity, honesty, and perseverance; perfection and transparency, and provide services with a sense of dedication, kindness and love.

He also urged officials to work as a team and ensure proper coordination with the concerned officials to give the best health care to the patients.

Fakeih’s new directives came as Egypt’s Health Ministry issued a warning to children, elderly people and anyone suffering from chronic heart and chest diseases against traveling to Saudi Arabia.

The first case of the disease in Egypt was reported on Thursday, in a 27-year-old man who lives in Saudi Arabia but returned ill to Egypt last week after having been in contact with an uncle in the Kingdom who died of MERS.

In a statement, cited by Reuters, Egypt’s health ministry said that anyone under the age of 15 or older than 65, as well as pregnant women and people suffering from chronic heart and chest diseases, should postpone pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.

It further confirmed that no further MERS cases had been reported in Egypt.

The man, who contracted the virus is in stable condition, in a hospital in Cairo. Mohammad Al-Balawi, director of the information department in the Saudi embassy in Jordan, confirmed that a Saudi citizen who came to Jordan for medical treatment is inflicted with the corona virus.

He said the embassy received a call a few days ago about the presence of a Saudi patient inflicted with MERS in Al-Zaytoun hospital in Zerqa, north of Jordan.

As soon as the embassy received the call it called a number of well known hospitals in Jordan to explore the possibility of moving the patient to one of them.

These hospitals refrained from taking the patient because they have no vacant isolation rooms, said Al-Balawi said.

He said the embassy called the Jordanian Ministry of Health, which expressed its willingness to cooperate with the embassy and treat the patient in Prince Hamza hospital, which is equipped to receive such cases.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Dubai, Mar 23: The United Arab Emirates announced on Monday it will temporarily suspend all passenger and transit flights amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Emirati authorities "have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19", reported the official state news agency, WAM.

It said the decision -- which is subject to review in two weeks -- will take effect in 48 hours, adding: "Cargo and emergency evacuation flights would be exempt."

The UAE, whose international airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are major hubs, announced on Friday its first two deaths from the COVID-19 disease, having reported more than 150 cases so far.

Monday's announcement came hours after Dubai carrier Emirates announced it would suspend all passenger flights by March 25.

But the aviation giant then reversed its decision, saying it "received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers" and will continue to operate passenger flights to 13 destinations.

Emirates had said it will continue to fly to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, the United States and Canada.

"We continue to watch the situation closely, and as soon as things allow, we will reinstate our services," said the airline's chairman and CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum.

Gulf countries have imposed various restrictions to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, particularly in the air transport sector.

The UAE has stopped granting visas on arrival and forbidden foreigners who are legal residents but are outside the country from returning.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Dubai, Jan 10: Iran denied on Thursday that a Ukrainian airliner that crashed near Tehran had been hit by a missile, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said in a statement, according to state TV.

"All these reports are a psychological warfare against Iran. All those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box".

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Jeddah, Jul 31: Hajj 2020 pilgrims arrived in Muzdalifah Thursday night to rest after spending the day in Arafat.

Earlier, the pilgrims scaled Mount Arafat to pray and repent, as a highly unusual Hajj approached its climax. They listened to a sermon delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea and prayed Dhuhr and Asr prayers together at the Al-Namirah Mosque in Arafat.

This year’s pilgrimage is the smallest in modern times, after the number of participants was greatly restricted to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Tight security was in place around the foot of the rocky hill outside Makkah, also known as Jabal Al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, in preparation for the high point of the annual ritual.

Video footage shown on state television showed the pilgrims setting off on their climb to the summit. They wore face masks and observed strict social-distancing rules imposed by Saudi authorities.As sprinklers sprayed water on them to provide relief from the summer desert heat, the pilgrims raised their palms as they climbed the slopes of the hill — the site of Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon. When they reached the top they recited holy verses and prayed for forgiveness for their sins.

Earlier, the pilgrims were taken in buses from Mina to Mount Arafat. Strict precautionary measures were in place, with each group accompanied by security teams, ambulances and civil defense vehicles. 

When they arrived, their temperatures were checked before they entered Namirah Mosque to hear a sermon that was translated into 10 languages.

“The camps were set up for pilgrims in Arafat early on,” said Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Salih Bentin. The sermon at Namirah Mosque was delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea, who led the pilgrims in noon and afternoon prayers.

“During Hajj this year, we reiterate that it is essential for pilgrims, as well as everyone assisting them, to adhere to the precautionary regulations that have been implemented,” Al-Manea, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, said during his sermon. “This is to be done for their own safety.

“Precautions have been put in place to protect lives against the damage that the pandemic can cause, and also to actualize Islam’s teachings pertaining to safeguarding human life by Allah’s permission.”

The stay in Arafat is described as the pinnacle of Hajj and Muslims around the world reflect the actions of pilgrims by asking for forgiveness and praying for their deepest desires.
Pilgrims left Arafat in coaches for Muzdalifah after sunset and will pray the Maghrib and Isha prayers there.

After sunset prayers, the pilgrims made their way down Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah, where they will spend the night before the final Hajj ritual, the symbolic stoning of the devil. 

This year, each pilgrim received sanitized pebbles in advance of the event on Friday, which is the first day of Eid Al-Adha.
This year the Kingdom faced the unprecedented challenge of ensuring pilgrims attending Hajj were protected as much as possible from the risks of the coronavirus.

They will then sleep, pray the Fajr prayer there tomorrow and then leave for Mina.

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