Kuwait and Bahrain announced on Wednesday more coronavirus cases, with the infections occurring among people returning from Iran or who had had contact with the travelers.
Kuwait's health ministry said that the number of people diagnosed with the virus in the country rose to 18 after six more cases were confirmed.
The ministry also confirmed in a statement that the six new cases were all Kuwaiti citizens "who are related to travel to Iran".
Kuwait has barred foreign ships, except those carrying oil, from departing to or arriving from several countries to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to a notice seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
The notice, dated Feb. 25, has banned ships from and to South Korea, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Iraq.
Oil sector ships are excluded from the ban, the authorities said in a separate notice dated Feb. 25 and seen by Reuters.
Bahrain announced that the number of coronavirus infections has risen to 26 after 3 new cases were confirmed, according to the state news agency (BNA).
The three were identified as Bahraini women who arrived at Bahrain international airport on indirect flights from Iran.
Meanwhile, an official from the UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority told Reuters that the United Arab Emirates is "well prepared and equipped for the worst case scenarios" as the coronavirus spreads in Middle East.
The UAE has enough facilities to quarantine patients and relevant bodies have been instructed to undertake "a complete surveillance of all people entering the country", the official said.
The UAE has reported 13 people have been diagnosed with the infection, of whom three have recovered and two are in critical condition.
