Coronavirus cases in UAE increases to 11

Two more people in the UAE have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, taking the total number of such cases to 11, health authorities said on Saturday.

The two male patients include a 34-year-old from Philippines and a 39-year-old from Bangladesh, who got infected as they were in direct contact with the Chinese patients recently diagnosed with coronavirus, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said in a statement.

The death toll in China's novel coronavirus climbed to 2,345 with 109 more deaths reported, while the confirmed cases rose to 76,288.

A team of WHO experts, currently in China to investigate the COVID-19 outbreak, is expected to visit the worst-affected Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak.

UAE's health ministry said that all people in direct contact with the coronavirus patients are being checked to ensure the safety of the community, Gulf News reported.

"The ministry emphasised that it is taking all necessary and precautionary measures, including investigating, examining and following up on those who were in contact with the patients, in cooperation with health authorities in the country," it said.

The ministry has urged the public to follow the preventive procedures and to read the virus-awareness instructions, available on its website and the official websites of health authorities in the UAE.