Coronavirus in the UAE: a timeline of new cases and recoveries

The UAE became the first country in the Middle East to register a case of Covid-19 in January - here is what has happened since

January 29

The UAE announces its first four cases of the new coronavirus in a family from Wuhan. The mother, father, nine-year-old girl and grandmother arrived in the Emirates on January 16 and first sought treatment on January 23 after the grandmother developed flu-like symptoms. All four family members subsequently developed the disease.

February 1

A fifth case is announced in the UAE, having been detected in a male patient from Wuhan. He is in a stable condition and receiving medical care, according to the ministry.

February 2

Dr Hussein Al Rand, assistant undersecretary at the ministry announces the family of the fifth case is clear of infection. The man remains in a stable condition in hospital.

February 8

Two new cases are confirmed in the UAE, bringing the total number of people in the country with the illness to seven.

They include a Filipino, who is the first non-Chinese person to test positive for the illness in the UAE. The other case is in a Chinese citizen.

February 9

Health authorities announce a Chinese woman becomes the first patient in the UAE to recover from coronavirus.

Liu Yujia, 73, contracted the virus in China, then travelled to the UAE, where she began to experience symptoms. She was among the first four cases who tested positive for the virus in the UAE.

February 10

The UAE announces its eighth case in an Indian national, who became ill after "interacting with a recently diagnosed person" according to the ministry.

One coronavirus patient is in intensive care, with six in a stable condition, according to the ministry.

February 14

Two more patients make a full recovery. The 41-year-old man and his son, who is eight, were among the first four cases detected in the UAE in late January. It is understood the fourth patient, the mother, remains under medical care. This brings the total number of recovered patients in the UAE to three.

February 16

The UAE confirms its ninth case of the virus in a 37 year-old Chinese citizen. The patient is in a stable condition.

February 21

Two new cases of Covid-19 are confirmed in the UAE. They include someone from Bangladesh, 39, and the Philippines, 34.

February 22

Two patients, an Iranian couple aged 70 and 64, are announced in the UAE.

February 27

Six more cases of coronavirus are announced as two patients make a full recovery. The new patients include four Iranians, one Chinese citizen and a Bahraini citizen who had all recently travelled to Iran. These bring the UAE's total number of cases to 19 and the total number recovered to five.

February 28

UAE Tour is cancelled after two Italian team members test positive for Covid-19. The ministry tests everyone at two hotels in Yas Island, Crowne Plaza and the W, where the cyclists and teams are staying, and quarantines two people who had come into contact with the new patients.

March 3

Six new cases of coronavirus are announced. They include two Russians, two Italians, a German and a Colombian citizen, who had come into contact with two Italian participants of the UAE Tour who tested positive for coronavirus at the weekend.

The new cases bring the UAE's total to 27, with five patients having already recovered.

It is announced that all schools and universities will close for a period of four weeks beginning Sunday, March 8.

Spring break is moved forward and will last two weeks while pupils and students will spend the remaining two weeks undergoing distance learning from home.

Schools, universities and buses will be disinfected during that four-week period, the Ministry of Education says.

March 4

A 16-year-old pupil from Indian High School in Dubai tests positive. The girl game into contact with a parent who had the virus and had travelled to an unspecified outbreak spot, taking the total to 29.

The school is deep-cleaned and many pupils are tested as a precaution.

March 5

UAE authorities announce a new case of coronavirus, found in a 17-year-old Emirati student who was showing no symptoms and becomes the 30th patient. His condition was described as stable.

March 6

The Ministry of Health and Prevention announces 15 new cases, taking the total number of infections in the country to 45. All the patients, from countries including Thailand, China, Morocco, India, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia, are said to be in a stable condition.

Two Chinese patients with coronavirus recover, bringing the total number of those who have got better to seven. The two Chinese nationals were aged 38 and 10.

March 8

Fourteen new cases are confirmed taking the total to 59. The patients are four Emiratis, three Italians, two Bangladeshis, two Nepalese, a Russian, an Indian and a Syrian.

The latest cases were identified after an "active and continuous investigation" into people who came in contact with previously diagnosed patients, who are now receiving treatment in quarantine.