UAE announces 11 new coronavirus cases, total count now at 85

The UAE announced 11 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the total number of cases recorded in the country to 85.

The new cases include two Italians, two Filipinos, one Montenegrin, one Canadian, one German, one Pakistani, one Emirati, one Russian and one British citizen.

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the individuals were placed under quarantine as suspected cases following their entry into the UAE.

They later tested positive for Covid-19, it said.

The ministry said the cases are being monitored, and individuals are currently in a stable condition and are receiving all necessary health care.

MoHAP also stressed that medical facilities have been equipped with all the necessary equipment and supplies to provide care and take all measures required to deal with Covid-19, including airborne infection isolation rooms, following World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

The UAE has taken several measures to curb the Covid-19 outbreak, which was declared a pandemic by the WHO on Wednesday.

Schools and universities have been closed for four weeks from March 8, while several events have been cancelled or postponed.

Thermal scanners have been positioned at the airport and at malls, while both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have imposed shisha bans.

The UAE has also urged citizens and residents to avoid travelling, and has urged those returning from certain countries to self-isolate themselves for 14 days.

The government has also rolled out a work-from-home policy for some of its employees in a bid to tackle the coronavirus spread.

Read: Dubai allows flexible working hours for employees, orders shisha ban for two weeks

MoHAP has also urged the public to adhere to preventative health and personal hygiene measures and advised individuals with respiratory illness symptoms to avoid mixing in crowded places.

It urged people to follow basic protective measures such as the frequent washing of hands; cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing and discarding of the tissue immediately; and seek early medical care if symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing arise.