10pc rise in Umrah pilgrims, despite Mers fears
Jeddah, June 11, 2014
Despite the fears caused by the Mers Coronavirus, the number of Umrah pilgrims this year saw a 10 per cent rise, said a report.
Saudi Arabia had not restricted pilgrims arriving from different countries because of the virus, which has killed nearly 300 people in the kingdom alone, said the Arab News report.
“We have not heard reports of new Mers cases among the pilgrims,” Osama Felali, chairman of the Haj and Umrah Committee, was quoted as saying.
More pilgrims are arriving from around the world, with the numbers set to increase during Ramadan when more than three million foreign pilgrims are expected, he said.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said Mers was under control and no new cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, added the report.
