Oman Confirms First Coronavirus Cases - Health Ministry

Oman's Health Ministry announced on Monday the first two cases of coronavirus infection recorded in the country

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2020) Oman's Health Ministry announced on Monday the first two cases of coronavirus infection recorded in the country.

"Ministry of Health registered first two Novel #Coronavirus (COVID-2019) cases for Omani women coming from #Iran," the ministry wrote on Twitter, adding that both patients were in stable condition.

Earlier in the day, the first COVID-19 cases were reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak in Iran where 12 people died from virus-related complications, while more than 60 people have been diagnosed with the virus Oman decided to halt all flights to and from Iran.

"[Civil Aviation] Authority suspends all civil aviation flights between the Sultanate [of Oman] and the Islamic Republic of Iran, starting from today [Monday], February 24, 2020. And until further notice," Oman's Civil Aviation Authority said on its official Twitter account.

The novel coronavirus was first detected in China in late December and has since spread to some 30 countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. More than 77,000 people have so far been infected worldwide.