Coronavirus: With 15 new cases, UAE tally jumps to 74

By Mohammed Yahya

ISTANBUL (AA) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed 15 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, taking the national tally to 74.

"Effective application of precautionary measures revealed 15 cases of coronavirus infections," the UAE Health Ministry was quoted as saying in a statement by official news agency WAM.

This, it added, brought the total number of infected people in the country to 74. Some 12 cases have recovered so far.

"The new cases involve three Italians, two each from the UAE, Sri Lanka, the U.K. and India, and one from Germany, South Africa, Tanzania and Iran," the communique added.

The ministry said the condition of all those infected was stable, and they were being provided with the necessary health care.

First detected in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to over 100 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The global death toll is past 4,000 with nearly 114,000 confirmed cases.

As part of their efforts to contain the outbreak, some governments closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the most-affected countries, including China, South Korea and Iran. Educational institutions have also been closed in a number of states.

Italy, the worst-hit country after the Chinese mainland, has extended its emergency measures, which include travel restrictions and a ban on public gatherings, to the entire country.

In a press briefing on Monday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said that since the virus has a foothold "in so many countries, the threat of pandemic has become very real."

*Bassel Ibrahim contributed to this report from Ankara