Egyptian Health Minister speaks on travel for Umrah and Hajj

Cairo, May 30, SPA -- Egyptian Health Minister Hatem El-Gabali has
said the Egyptian government can not prevent travel for people who
desire to perform Umrah or Hajj, but it can warn them.

He said his authority as the Health Minister gives him a right "to
detain returnees in quarantine to ensure safety even if it takes 7
days".

In an interview published in Cairo today, he said this is now the
procedure and that it had been the case in the past. "In 1947, the
Egyptian Government prevented commuting between the Egyptian
governorates when cholera turned out to be an epidemic.

The Egyptian Minister of Health said that the issue is not
obstinance, but it is just a warning. "Reiterating that if the
epidemic is there in any country, they will quarantine people. For
example, in such an eventuality, the United States will prevent
people and quarantine all arriving people."

The Egyptian Health Minister reiterated that Swine Flu virus is
active in low temperature and thus there is a fear that the last 10
days in the month of Ramadan - the prime period of Umrah season will
end with the beginning of autumn, and that Hajj season begins 45 days
later but actual traveling for Hajj begins at least 30 days in
advance of the season. "There is a great likelihood of the virus
entering Egypt, but it is not guaranteed, especially since the virus
can enter from any other country, but the focus now is on the season
of Hajj and Umrah. During the season, 600,000 Egyptians are destined
to travel."


--SPA