Coronavirus: UAE confirms ninth case

Health officials say the Chinese man, 37, is in a stable condition

A man who has recovered from the coronavirus infection donating plasma in Lianyungang in China's eastern Jiangsu province. AFP

A visitor, wearing a protective facemask amid fears about the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, walks along Merlion Park in Singapore on February 17, 2020. AFP

A worker wearing a protective face mask removes stickers from the window of a shop in Shanghai on February 17, 2020. AFP

Medical workers in protective suits dance with patients inside the Wuhan Parlor Convention Centre that has been converted into a makeshift hospital following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. China Daily via Reuters

A doctor looking at an image as he checks a patient who is infected by the coronavirus at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan. AFP

A police officer attempts to prevent the photographer from taking pictures at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China. Reuters

Luggage is ready as some passengers disembark the MS Westerdam cruise ship docked in Sihanoukville, Cambodia on February 14, 2020. Getty Images

Passengers disembark the MS Westerdam cruise ship docked in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Getty Images

Medical personnel check the conditions of a COVID-19 patient at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. EPA

The health authorities in the UAE confirmed the country's ninth case of coronavirus on Sunday.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention said a Chinese citizen, 37, was in a stable condition after contracting the disease.

A routine check-up, in line with World Health Organisation standards, lead to the diagnosis.

The ministry urged the public to take preventive measures to avoid infection, state news agency Wam reported.

"The public are also advised to adopt protective health behaviour to avoid infectious diseases, including washing hands with soap and clean water, and covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing to stop the spread of germs and viruses," it said.

Of the eight other cases, three patients have made a full recovery, with the remainder still receiving care.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention announced on Friday that two Chinese citizens, a 41-year-old man and his son, 8, had fully recovered.

Their return to good health follows the recovery last week of Liu Yujia, 73, a woman from China, who was the first to recover fully from the disease.

The virus spread around the world since it emerged in December in Wuhan, the capital of China’s central Hubei province.

China reported 1,933 new cases of the Covid-19 virus on Monday, including more than 105 new deaths.

More than 10,000 people have been discharged from hospital.

Chinese Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said the slowing infection rate showed that the tight restrictions that are in place were helping to combat the disease.

"The effect of the coronavirus controls is appearing," Mr Mi said.

The government put Hubei, where the virus is believed to have originated, on virtual lockdown in recent weeks.

Hubei and Wuhan have been hit hardest by the outbreak, which has now killed more than 1,770 in China.

The total number of cases across mainland China now exceeds 70,000.