Bahrain has suspended its flights to Dubai, today, over fears about the spread of novel coronavirus.  The move by Bahrain, a small island off the coast of Saudi Arabia, suggested its monarchy had doubts about screenings of incoming passengers in Dubai and nearby Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It said the ban was immediate and would last at least 48 hours. Bahrain counted its first case of the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 illness yesterday in a school bus driver who transited Dubai while coming from Iran.

Iran’s government said yesterday that 12 people had died nationwide from the novel coronavirus, rejecting claims of a much higher death toll of 50 by a lawmaker from the city of Qom that has been at the epicenter of the virus in the country. Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and Oman also announced their first cases of the virus yesterdsay and connected them to travel with Iran. The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, has reported 13 cases of the new virus. Most of those were connected with travel to China.