Tourists wearing surgical masks search for seashells on a beach next to Burj Al Arab in Dubai. (AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — A 34-year-old Filipino was among the two new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) confirmed.
The latest case is also the second Filipino in the Middle Eastern country to have been infected with the virus.
In a statement released Saturday, the MOHAP said that aside from the Filipino, a 39-year-old Bangladeshi was also confirmed carrying the deadly virus.
The Filipino and Bangladeshi were said to have had close contact with a person recently diagnosed with the new coronavirus.
Both, however, were now in stable condition, the UAE’s MOHAP added.
“It affirmed that it is screening all persons in close contact with the confirmed cases to avoid spreading of the disease and to ensure the safety of the community,” the ministry said.
The two confirmed cases bring the total number of people in the UAE infected with COVID-19 to 11. Out of the said number, three have fully recovered.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, last Feb. 8, confirmed that a Filipino was infected with COVID-19.