Coronavirus cases rise in UAE and Qatar - ministries

The number of coronavirus cases in the United Arab Emirates has risen to 45 from 30, the health ministry said on Saturday.

Qatar also reported its 12th case of the virus, a Qatari national who had visited Iran, its health ministry said. The virus, that was first recorded in China in December, has spread across the Gulf region and beyond.

The United Arab Emirates, a major air transit center, business, and tourism hub, has advised citizens and residents against traveling abroad and all schools are closed for a month from Sunday. Events across the country have also been canceled or postponed, while some sports, such as horse racing and soccer, are going ahead behind closed doors without any fans in attendance.

Saudi Arabia has closed its land borders with the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain with the exception of commercial trucks, and is only permitting flights from those countries to three of its airports. Kuwait has suspended flights to and from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka for a week, and has banned the entry of foreigners who have been to those countries in the past two weeks.