UAE confirms ninth coronavirus case

The UAE confirmed a new case of the coronavirus infection on Sunday, February 16, bringing the total number of those infected in the country to nine, official news agency WAM reported.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) confirmed a 37-year-old Chinese citizen as the latest confirmed case of the new infection, who was diagnosed during a routine check-up.

The condition of the patient remains stable, a statement said.

Of the nine confirmed coronavirus cases in the UAE, seven were Chinese citizens, the other two being a Filipino and an Indian national.

Three of the nine infected patients are confirmed to have fully recovered.

Read: Coronavirus update: Two more patients in the UAE have recovered

The remaining six patients continue to remain under intensive care, and are being observed by a team of leading consultants, the statement said.

The Ministry said it is collaborating with nation-wide authorities, whilst taking necessary precautions to ensure that effective preventive measures –  including check-ups and observation of the people who have been in contact with those infected – are in place.

The Ministry also advised the public to adhere to preventive procedures and to review the awareness instructions available on its website and on those of health authorities in the UAE.

“The public are also advised to adopt protective health behaviours to avoid infectious diseases, including washing hands with soap and clean water, and covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing to stop the spread of germs and viruses,” the Ministry added.

In an attempt to contain and manage the spread of the virus, the UAE performed precautionary tests on close to 1,200 people.

Also read: UAE tested hundreds of people as a precaution against coronavirus – official

Since the outbreak of the epidemic in China, the death toll in the country has risen to 1,770 while the number of cases in mainland China reached 70,548. Meanwhile, the number of discharged totaled 10,844.

With inputs from Bloomberg