Authorities at Cairo Airport reinforced swine flu testing procedures on Friday as thousands of pilgrims will be returning home from holy sites in Saudi Arabia. Authorities were preparing for about 15,000 arrivals on Friday aboard 30 flights and another 115,000 are expected to return over the next few days. Airport official Hassan Shaaban said “Doctors have been put on flights accompanying the pilgrims home. “
Shaaban said in order to avoid overcrowding at terminals, passengers will fill out medical questionnaires on the flight home. Egypt has a population of 80 million and is the most populous of any Arab country. They have implemented several measures to reduce swine flu, including killing an estimated 200,000 of the country’s pigs. Two people have so far died of the disease, and another 900 cases have been reported.
