UPDATE - Number of coronavirus cases in Qatar rises to 18

UPDATE WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ahmed Yusuf, Mehmet Nuri Ucar and Serdar Bitmez

DOHA, Qatar (AA) - Qatar's Health Ministry on Monday confirmed three new cases of the coronavirus, which brought the total number of cases in the country to 18.

On Sunday, Qatar announced it temporarily banned the entry of travelers from 14 countries due to concerns over the coronavirus.

The ban covers Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Thailand.

Qataris were also advised not to visit these countries unless it is absolutely necessary.

The country also suspended curricular activities in educational institutes in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Qatar’s Government Communications Office announced that classes in public and private schools and universities for all students in the country will be suspended from March 10 until further notice, state-run Qatar News Agency said on Twitter.

The move aims to limit the spread of coronavirus, and to ensure the safety of students, the agency said.

The global death toll from the virus is around 3,800, with more than 109,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, governments have closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the worst-hit countries including China, Iran and Italy.

After declaring the outbreak an international health emergency in January, the WHO last month updated the global risk level to “very high.”

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz