UAE advises against travel abroad over coronavirus concerns

The United Arab Emirates is urging its citizens and other residents to avoid travelling abroad because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, state news agency WAM said on Thursday.

Authorities in the Gulf state may order medical checks on travellers when they return and ask them to stay in isolation at home for 14 days, WAM cited a health ministry statement as saying.

The UAE, which is closing schools and educational institutions for four weeks on March 8, said students and education workers would have to spend a compulsory two weeks at home after returning from overseas.

The Gulf Arab state is a major hub for international air travel and its Dubai airport is one of the world's busiest.

Dubai airport handled 86.4 million passengers last year, roughly 237,000 a day, most of whom were transiting.

The UAE has reported at least 27 coronavirus cases. On Wednesday, Dubai's health authority said a student had contracted the virus from a parent who had travelled overseas.
Medical tests are already being conducted on passengers arriving from China, Italy, Lebanon, Thailand and Syria at Dubai airport and entering the country, the airport says.

The test is a nasal swab and temperature check.

Transit passengers are not being tested but will have their temperature checked before boarding their connecting flight, Emirates said on its website.

The latest move may add further pressure on the economy in the Gulf state as the coronavirus outbreak weighs on consumer confidence and business productivity.

Flights from the UAE to Iran, Bahrain and most of mainland China have been suspended because of the outbreak, which has also led to major events being cancelled across the country.

Dubai has asked sports events organizers to postpone all sports-related activities until the end of the month, according to a government circular seen by Reuters.

On Wednesday, the football association had said all soccer games would be played behind closed doors without any fans in attendance until further notice.



REUTERS