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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Gulf Countries Take More Measures over Coronavirus

Employees from a disinfection service company sanitize a shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, February 27, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

The Kuwaiti army will suspend studies at military colleges and schools for two weeks from March 1 due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, state news agency KUNA said on Thursday.

State-owned Kuwait Oil Company also suspended all domestic and foreign official missions and training programs for its employees until further notice.

The measure, which includes halting employee training programs at international companies and participation at conferences, is "a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of workers," the company said on Twitter.

Earlier, a Kuwaiti health ministry official said the country now has 43 confirmed cases of coronavirus, all involving people who had been to Iran.

Bahrain also recorded more cases, all in people who had visited Iran, bringing its total to 33.

Also Thursday, the United Arab Emirates suspended passenger ferry services with Iran until further notice, the state news agency WAM said.

The UAE has obliged all commercial ships coming to the country to provide a statement on the health status of their crews 72 hours before arrival to help prevent the spread of the virus, WAM said.

Authorities in the UAE reported six new cases on Thursday, raising the total to 19.

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