China coronavirus: UAE confirms four members of Chinese family first cases in Middle East
- Four people from the same Chinese family are reported to be in a stable condition and are under medical observation
- Gulf airports, including Dubai is home to one of the world’s biggest aviation hubs
The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday confirmed the first cases in the Middle East of the new Chinese virus that causes flu-like symptoms, saying doctors now were treating a family of four that had just come from Wuhan, the city at the epicentre of the outbreak.
The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency made the announcement citing the Health and Prevention Ministry, but offered no details on where the stricken family lived nor where they were receiving treatment.
It later confirmed there were four patients, all “members of a family arriving from the Chinese city of Wuhan”.
The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is home to long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways and is a hub for global air travel.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the family left Wuhan and made it all the way to the UAE. China shut down Wuhan’s airport and other transport in the city last Thursday to stop the spread of the virus.