No Need of Travel Warning Related to Ebola Virus: Ministry

Jakarta (Antara) - There was no need to issue a travel advisory related to the Ebola virus for prospective Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, stated the Religious Affairs Ministry's Director General of Hajj and Umrah, Abdul Djamil. "A travel warning is not necessary because it will lead to a state of panic among the prospective Hajj pilgrims about the spread of the Ebola virus," Djamil noted here on Wednesday. But, he emphasized that it can be considered as a warning for the Indonesian Muslims to be careful while performing their religious duty of Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca this year. Djamil remarked that the Ministry of Religious Affairs is currently coordinating with related parties such as the Ministry of Health Affairs and Hajj health centers to determine the necessary steps for safeguarding the prospective Hajj pilgrims from being infected by the deadly virus. He stated that it was not necessary for Indonesia to issue the travel warning against the spread of the Ebola virus from the African countries such as Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.(*)