Coronavirus pandemic: Cases in Middle East cross 10,000 as Gulf reports spike

Amid coronavirus outbreak, the Middle East has now reported new confirmed cases which have taken the toll to 10,000, with most people infected either in Iran or having recently travelled there. Iran is one of the worst-hit countries outside China as it has more than 10,000 confirmed cases and the deadly virus has already claimed more than 400 lives. There are also concerns that the number of infections across Iran is much higher than the confirmed cases reported by the government.

Earlier this week, Qatar also reported a massive jump in cases with nearly 262 now infected. Bahrain, which recently confirmed its first case, also saw a rise in number by nearly 70 per cent. The confirmed cases in Bahrain has now reached 189. Kuwait has over 70 confirmed cases and Saudi Arabia announced a jump in cases from 21 to 45. 

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All the Gulf countries have now imposed varying levels of restriction on travel. Several top officials in Iran, from senior vice president to cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Revolutionary guard members, health workers and health ministry officials, have contracted the deadly virus. The authorities have also suspended pilgrimage to Islams holiest sites, barring entry of all pilgrims to Mecca and Medina to curb the virus spread.

The deadly outbreak has led to leaders around the world to roll out bans on big gatherings and stricter travel restrictions. The outbreak has also disrupted flight demand and several airlines have also suspended or modified services in response. Governments worldwide have stepped up efforts to halt the spread of the virus as it has already affected more than 100 countries.

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'Pandemic'

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the coronavirus as a global pandemic after the virus spread to 114 countries, resulting in the deaths of more than 4,500 people worldwide. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom further even urged all nations to get very serious over the issue and take all necessary measures to contain the virus from spreading at this rate. Tedros said, that the word "Pandemic" cannot be used lightly or carelessly due to its strong connotation.

First detected in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province of China, the virus outbreak has disrupted many lives since December 2019. As per reports, the total number of confirmed cases within China has reportedly hit 80,796 and more than one lakh worldwide. According to reports, the death toll in China has also surpassed 3,000 and the National Health Commission also confirmed 18 new cases. The death toll due to the deadly virus across the world also mounted to 4,716.

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