Saudi Health Minister Confirms Hajj Free of Ebola

As the global toll rises on the number of people affected by the Ebola outbreak, authorities in Saudi Arabia sighed in peace as the Hajj pilgrimage came to a closure without any casualties reported.

Saudi Arabia's acting health minister, Adel Fakieh, confirmed the news on Monday saying, "I am pleased to announce the hajj was free of all epidemic diseases."

Thousands of health workers were called upon before the annual union of pilgrims from across the world in an effort to ensure that pilgrims weren't victims to the global Ebola outbreak and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Several preventive measures were taken to ensure the success of the mission, including a health-screening questionnaire that was mandatory for every pilgrim and a "command and control" centre to control the entire Hajj health operation.

Fifteen isolation rooms were also allocated to hold any suspected cases at the Jeddah airport with incoming passengers being monitored by thermal cameras to detect high body temperatures.

Despite 170 people suspected to be carrying the MERS infection, all proved negative, said Fakieh.

MERS has so far claimed 322 lives in Saudi Arabia since September 2012 when it first emerged.

The Kingdom has been hardest-hit country by the MERS outbreak.

Saudi Arabia had banned pilgrims from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone –West African countries that have seen the most casualties from the Ebola outbreak that has so far claimed 3,000 lives in West Africa.