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HEALTH-VIRUS-QATAR
Qatar confirms first coronavirus case
DOHA, Feb 29, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Qatar has confirmed its first case of
coronavirus, state media reported Saturday, after a 36-year-old Qatari woman
who was evacuated to Doha from Iran tested positive.
Qatar on Thursday repatriated a number of its citizens from Iran — which
is battling the worst outbreak outside China — and confined them to a 14-day
period of quarantine, the government said.
The health ministry said the infected patient had been admitted to
hospital.
“This had been expected because of the virus’s spread across the region and
other countries, alongside the exponential increase in the number of cases,”
the health ministry said according to the Qatar News Agency.
Iran on Saturday reported nine new deaths from the novel coronavirus and
205 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, bringing its overall toll to 43 dead
and 593 infected.
Gulf countries have announced a raft of measures to cut links with Iran to
prevent the coronavirus spreading, after infections emerged among people
returning from pilgrimages to the Islamic republic.
Saudi Arabia on Friday barred citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation
Council, which includes Qatar, from entering two of Islam’s holiest cities
amid fears over coronavirus.
The Gulf tally stands at 45 cases of coronavirus in Kuwait, 38 in Bahrain,
six in Oman and two more in the United Arab Emirates for a total of 21.
On Saturday the UAE also announced it was suspending nursery school
classes, and limiting activities at other schools. Authorities said that two
planes will also be sent to Iran to collect Emiratis and other Gulf citizens
trapped there after air routes were closed.
Cyclists taking part in the UAE Tour are awaiting the results of
coronavirus tests from their hotel lockdown, after the event was abandoned
Thursday when two staff from an Italian team tested positive.
The race organisers said in a tweet Saturday that 167 of those quarantined
had received negative results on coronavirus tests, but it did not say
whether they were cyclists or staff members, nor how many others were
awaiting results.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1836 hrs