Kuwait calls on citizens to avoid traveling over coronavirus concern

DUBAI (Reuters) - Kuwait called on its citizens to avoid traveling over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, a health ministry official said at a media conference on Saturday.

The Gulf state has not registered any new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, she said.

The total number of people infected with the disease in Kuwait is 45, while no one has died, the health ministry said on Friday.

Oman’s health ministry said on Saturday a women who had been diagnosed with the disease has recovered. The sultanate said on Thursday the total number of people infected was six.

The country most affected by the outbreak in the Gulf region is Iran, with more than 40 deaths and several hundred confirmed infections, according to authorities.

The majority of infections in other Gulf countries were diagnosed in people who had visited Iran or who came into contact with people who had been there.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the only Gulf countries to have not reported any coronavirus cases.