UPDATE - Kuwait reports new coronavirus cases, takes count to 26

UPDATES NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES

By Mohammad Abdel-Ghaffar

KUWAIT CITY (AA) - Kuwait confirmed 26 cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, according to its health ministry.

Health officials said new cases were people coming from Iran and reported cases are in good health and are receiving medical treatment.

Kuwait put the number of cases at 12 earlier Wednesday.

Kuwait decided to cancel national celebrations and sports competitions Monday as part of its fight against the outbreak.

Due to the new type of coronavirus, Kuwait hs evacuated around 800 citizens from Iran, where 16 deaths from the virus, known as COVID-19, have been reported.

The coronavirus was first detected in China in December 2019 and has spread to more than 30 other countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.

In China, the death toll was 2,700 on Wednesday, with nearly 76,700 confirmed cases as health experts scramble to find a cure.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara