Senegal tightens anti-Covid controls after Mecca deaths

Senegal stated Monday it had carried out voluntary Covid-19 screening assessments and reimposed the carrying of masks at Dakar’s worldwide airport for returning pilgrims fearing the virus was linked to the deaths of some Mecca pilgrims.

Dakar suspects that plenty of the some 1,300 deaths — in line with a Saudi tally — are right down to a respiratory syndrome ailment corresponding to Covid-19, Well being Minister Ibrahima Sy stated on Sunday.

“Initially, we thought it was associated to heatwaves as a result of the temperature was excessively excessive, however we realised that there’s a respiratory syndrome with the instances of demise,” Sy stated of the deaths through the hajj pilgrimage, which occurred throughout intense warmth.

“We instructed ourselves that, in all probability, there’s a respiratory epidemic, and it was our responsibility to have the ability to monitor the pilgrims on their return by putting in a screening system for every little thing Covid-19 associated,” stated Sy in remarks carried by Senegalese broadcasters.

The well being ministry stated it had “strengthened the well being surveillance system” by deploying a group on the airport to supply voluntary screening assessments and establish pilgrims affected by flu-like diseases.

The ministry additionally urged the inhabitants “to be vigilant, to indicate restraint and to be extra serene to keep away from an epidemic”.

Out of 124 speedy diagnostic assessments, 78 proved optimistic for the Covid-19 virus, 36 of which have been later confirmed by PCR assessments, the ministry stated.

Charles Bernard Sagna, chief medical officer for the airport, stated the alert was raised when the Senegalese medical group primarily based in Jeddah had reported “a big quantity” of passengers with respiratory issues.

“There isn’t any trigger for alarm however there additionally needs to be prevention,” the ministry stated Sunday.

Senegalese each day L’Observateur reported that 5 of the useless on the hajj have been Senegalese nationals.

They have been amongst an round 12,000-strong formally registered Senegalese contingent.

Saudi Arabia’s official SPA information company earlier reported 1,301 deaths on the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the place temperatures climbed as excessive as 51.8 levels Celsius (125 levels Fahrenheit), in line with the nation’s nationwide meteorological centre.

Greater than 80 % of pilgrims attending primarily out of doors rituals have been “unauthorised” and walked lengthy distances in direct daylight, in line with SPA.

The hajj is without doubt one of the 5 pillars of Islam that each one Muslims with the means should full at the least as soon as of their lives.

Saudi officers have stated 1.8 million pilgrims took half this yr, an identical quantity to final yr, and that 1.6 million got here from overseas.

AFP