The first case of Covid-19 in the UAE was identified on January 29. As of Tuesday, March 10, there were 74 confirmed cases.The figure is not particularly high by regional standards, with Kuwait and Bahrain both reporting more cases than the Emirates. But numbers have been rising, with 14 further cases reported in the UAE on Monday and 15 more on Tuesday.

In total 17 people have recovered completely, including a Chinese family who were among the first to contract the virus. Two are in intensive care, officials said on Saturday, with the rest under observation.

Meanwhile, the government has taken increasing steps aimed at controlling the spread of the virus. Last month, Minister of Health and Prevention Abdulrahman Al Owais told the Federal National Council that about 150 people were tested for each of the first eight patients, in an attempt to trace people who could have come into contact.