Nurseries and kindergartens in the UAE have been closed for 14 days from 1 March as the country seeks to contain the spread of the new coronavirus that causes the Covid-19 illness.

Internal and external trips, activities and events at schools and universities have been suspended to contain the spread.

The UAE’s Knowledge & Human Development Authority said the measures were precautionary actions.

Six new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the UAE on 27 February. Five of the UAE’s 21 Covid-19 patients have recovered, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad al-Owais, the UAE’s minister of health and prevention, said.

The final two stages of the UAE Tour cycling race were cancelled on 28 February after two Italian participants in the event tested positive for Covid-19.

The UAE Tour began in Dubai and featured four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome

The development came a day after two Italian golfers were quarantined in Muscat before being permitted to compete in the Oman Open.

Two UAE hotels on Yas Island served as temporary precautionary quarantine centres, and some participants of the UAE Tour have been quarantined at home, where they will undergo medical investigations for 14 days.

UAE authorities denied that a Covid-19 case had been detected at a residential compound in Abu Dhabi, and also quelled rumours that schools in the country would be closed from 1 March.

Al-Owais said two aircraft had been prepared to evacuate UAE nationals living in the Iranian cities of Qeshm and Tehran.

Iran update

Iran is most affected by the Covid-19 outbreak in the Middle East, and as of 29 February, had reported 43 deaths with 593 infections. However, conflicting reports state that Iran has had at least 200 fatalities.

All GCC countries except Saudi Arabia have reported cases of Covid-19.

The kingdom has suspended entry to its holy cities to contain the spread of the virus. On 28 February, Saudi Arabia’s newly formed Ministry of Tourism also announced a temporary suspension on issuing e-visas for visitors from China, Italy, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Kazakhstan.

The majority of people infected in the Gulf had either visited Iran or come into contact with people who had been there.

Medics check Iraqi passengers returning from Iran on arrival at Najaf International airport

Five flights evacuated Kuwaiti nationals from Tehran on 29 February. Kuwait said it had sent 35 travellers from Iraq into quarantine and another 52 Kuwaitis coming from Italy were also under health inspection.

Kuwait reported two new Covid-19 cases on 28 February, taking the total number of infections in the country to 45.

Kuwaiti stock exchange Boursa Kuwait’s regulator said on 29 February that trading would resume on 1 March as usual, but added that the main trading hall of its premises would be shut.

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Three new cases were also registered in Bahrain on 29 February, bringing the country’s total Covid-19 cases to 41. The new cases related to Bahraini nationals arriving at Bahrain International airport via indirect flights from Iran.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry is reaching out to individuals who returned from Iran in February. State-run Bahrain News Agency said 2,922 people returned to Bahrain before the outbreak was announced in Iran.

Another traveller from Iran was also reported as a Covid-19 patient in Oman. The sultanate now has five active cases of the infection and one recovered patient.

Wider Middle East

Outside the GCC, eight Covid-19 cases have been announced in Iraq, while Lebanon has reported four cases of the infection.

Turkey, which previously halted flights to and from Iran and China, has suspended passenger flights from Italy, Iraq and South Korea.

The US has imposed additional travel restrictions on Iran, Italy and South Korea to contain the spread of Covid-19. Vice-president Mike Pence said the existing ban on Iran would extend to foreign nationals who had visited the country in the past 14 days.

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