Saudi Arabia bans travel to Mecca due to risk of coronavirus spread

(Patria) - In line with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Saudi Arabia has banned travel to Mecca several months before the Hajj.

This decision is not surprising given the situation in the Middle East region with 33 cases in Bahrain, 22 deaths in Iran, and the presence of coronavirus infection confirmed in Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

South Korea registered 505 new cases of infection on Tuesday alone, bringing the total number of infected people to 1766.

On Wednesday, the first case of infection was recorded in Latin America, where a Brazilian contracted the disease caused by the still unknown virus.

In Italy, considered the European epicenter of coronavirus, the number of infected people is growing – more than 450 have been confirmed so far. The virus has reached every continent except Antarctica.

More than 78,000 cases have been confirmed in mainland China, with at least 2,744 deaths. Greece, Norway, and North Macedonia have confirmed their first cases. Around 60 cases have been recorded in the US, and President Trump has emphasized that the country is 'very prepared' to deal with the virus.

Denmark has also recorded its first case of infection; it is a man who recently returned from skiing in northern Italy.

EU Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides believes the situation is worrying, but that we must not give in to panic. 'We must be aware of disinformation, as well as xenophobic statements that lead to wrong thinking,' Kyriakides said, among other things.