Coronavirus: epidemic spreading in the Middle East and Central Asia

Text by: RFI Follow

Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain announced the first cases of people infected with the new coronavirus on Monday, saying they were returning from neighboring Iran, which has registered 43 cases and eight deaths. Afghanistan also announced its first case of contamination. A pilgrim returning from Iran.

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The Kuwaiti health ministry said three people, returning from the northeastern Iranian city of Machhad, tested positive for the virus while in Manama, the health ministry announced that a Bahraini, back from Iran, was diagnosed with the new coronavirus.

According to the Kuwaiti ministry, the infected are a 53-year-old Kuwaiti national, a 61-year-old Saudi and a 21-year-old stateless person. In Bahrain, the infected person was taken to a hospital for treatment and those who came in contact with him were called in for examinations, the health ministry said.

Kuwait suspended flights but organized evacuation operations for its citizens from Iran. It also closed its ports to ships from Iran.

Pilgrims, a factor in contamination?

Many citizens of Muslim countries, the Gulf or elsewhere, of Shiite faith, frequently travel to Iran for pilgrimages to the Shia holy places of the country. The growing number of cases of infection in Iran, which has become the main focus of the epidemic in the region, has prompted many neighboring countries to close their borders or restrict trade with that country.

Thus, the first case of coronavirus detected in Afghanistan concerns a patient recently arrived from Iran, Firozuddin Feroz, the Afghan Minister of Health, announced on Monday. The patient was detected among three suspects who authorities said on Sunday were returning from the city of Qom in Iran.

New dead in Iran

The new coronavirus epidemic has killed four people in Iran, bringing the number of people killed in the country by the Covid-19 virus to 12, the semi-official Isna news agency reported on Monday. " The Minister of Health has announced the death of 12 people and 47 cases of infection in the country, " wrote the agency, quoting remarks made to the press by MP Assadollah Abbasi, spokesman for the office of the Parliament, at the end of a closed session in the Assembly devoted to the new coronavirus.

(With AFP)

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• coronavirus
• Iran
• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• afghanistan
• Islam

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