Latest: Live updates as Middle East cases continue to rise
Dubai Expo 2020 organisers said they were closely monitoring the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday and are hopeful the virus will be under control soon.
A spokesperson said officials are working with the Ministry of Health and Prevention and are following health guidelines.
Thousands of people currently work at the under-construction site, rising to a daily workforce of 35,000 by the launch on October 20 and visitor numbers in the millions.
"The safety and well-being of everyone visiting Expo 2020 Dubai is of paramount importance to us, and we’re working closely with the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention to apply the guidance that they have provided,” a spokesperson said.
“Expo does not open until October this year, and we will continue to follow the situation closely. We are hopeful that global efforts will succeed in managing the virus.”
About 70 per cent of visitors for the Expo are expected to come from outside the UAE for the six-month event billed as 'The World’s Greatest Show'.
Plans are underway for daily events over 173 days with 192 countries confirming they will participate in the world fair.
Education and health authorities shut down nurseries and kindergartens temporarily across the country from March 1 as a precaution to limit the spread of the virus.
The number of confirmed cases in the UAE stood at 21 on Sunday.
Two Italian support staff who were part of the UAE Tour, a major cycling event, were the latest to test positive for Covid-19 on Thursday night.
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The feathers of the UAE Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site begin to take shape. Ali Haider / EPA -
The Sustainability Pavilion will be capped with solar panels once completed. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Sustainability district at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Sustainability Pavilion will be capped with solar panels once completed. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Solar 'trees' line the streets of the Sustainability District leading to the Sustainability Pavilion. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The feathers of the UAE Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site begin to take shape. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Cranes hover over the Mobility Pavilion as construction work on Expo 2020 Dubai accelerates. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Sustainability district at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Buildings rise from the sand at the Dubai South site ahead of next year's grand opening. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The trellis dome of Al Wasl Plaza, where the opening and closing ceremony for Expo 2020 Dubai will be held. Chris Whiteoak / The National
