The United Arab Emirates confirmed on Thursday 11 new cases of the deadly coronavirus, Emirates News Agency reported, raising the total number of cases in the country to 85. The new cases include two Italians, two Filipinos, a Montenegrin, a Canadian, a Pakistani, an Emirati, a Russian, and a British national, according to the Ministry of Health. The 11 people, who had been abroad, were placed under quarantine when they arrived in the country and were asked to take a medical test to determine whether they have coronavirus. The individuals are currently being monitored and are all in stable conditions, the ministry said. Medical facilities in the UAE have been provided with all the necessary medical equipment and supplies to ensure that patients with coronavirus are taken care of, the ministry added. The country also announced on Thursday that it would require pregnant women, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, and people with disabilities to work from home. The UAE had also announced a list of other precautionary measures to combat the spread of the deadly virus, including shutting down schools and universities and suspending some flights to virus-hit countries. Female employees with children who need to be supervised will be allowed to work under flexible hours, according to WAM. Employees who have traveled abroad are also required to work from home until they confirm that they do not have the virus. The UAE had earlier announced it would be implementing several precautionary measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, including shutting down schools and universities until April and suspending some flights to virus-hit countries. The UAE was the first country in the Middle East to report the virus after a family of four arriving from the virus's epicenter Wuhan in China were diagnosed. The UAE banned on Thursday cafes and restaurants in the country from serving shisha as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus. The representative of the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi told a local newspaper that those who don't abide by the new law will be punished by a warning, fines, or restaurant closure, depending on the violation. — Al-Arabiya English
