2nd Iranian MP dies of COVID-19

An Iranian lawmaker died of COVID-19 infection on Saturday as the epidemic claimed 21 more lives in the country. Several countries in the Middle East took new measures to contain or prevent the virus' spread.

Fatemeh Rahbar, 55, who was recently elected to the parliament from the capital Tehran, became the second Iranian lawmaker killed by the novel coronavirus since its outbreak on Feb. 19.

Iran has been the hardest-hit country in the region by the epidemic, with the death toll rising to 145 on Saturday. So far, Iran's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 5,823, up from 4,747 on Friday. A total of 1,663 patients have recovered.

In Tehran, an Iranian court on Saturday started trial of 10 individuals charged with hoarding health supplies and disrupting Iran's economy. Ebrahim Raisi, chief of Iran's judiciary, vowed long sentences or capital punishment for the defendants in the case.

Meanwhile, more cases of COVID-19 infection were reported on Saturday in some countries in the region, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.

In Cairo, Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed announced 33 new cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the number of confirmed cases in Egypt to 48.

All the new cases were discovered onboard a Nile cruise ship in Upper Egypt's Luxor city, raising the number of confirmed cases on the ship to 45, she said.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement that 15 new COVID-19 cases were detected Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 45.

The new cases included four UAE citizens, two Saudi Arabians, two Ethiopians, two Iranians, and one person each from Thailand, China, Morocco, Egypt and India. All the patients received necessary medical care and were in stable condition.

Meanwhile, the ministry said that two patients, aged 38 and 10 respectively, had recovered from the virus, bringing the number of the cured in the UAE to seven.

In Manama, Bahrain's Health Ministry announced that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 77, of whom 76 were stable while one was in "critical condition."

In Baghdad, Iraqi Health Ministry announced eight new cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases to 54, of whom four have died and three have recovered.

In Beirut, the Rafic Hariri Hospital announced six new COVID-19 cases, bringing to 28 the total number of confirmed cases in the country.

In Palestine, three new cases were reported on Saturday, bringing to 19 the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection. All the cases are from the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The government in Bethlehem, where the first seven cases were detected on Thursday, ordered a total shutdown of the tourist city until Monday night, except for the health sector.

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Friday a series of strict measures to be taken in Bethlehem and the West Bank as a whole, including the closure of churches, mosques, schools and universities, and a ban on foreign tourists.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mayor Musa Haddid announced the postponement of all activities in March, while the city started sterilizing mosques, churches and homes.

In the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Businessmen Association called for suspending all commercial activities in the coastal enclave, while deciding to cancel all meetings and gatherings in the private sector.

Several other countries in the region also took further measures on Saturday to stop or prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Kuwait announced on Saturday that it decided to suspend all flights with seven countries for one week, including Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

All passengers, who are from the seven countries or have a valid residency in these countries, and non-Kuwaitis, who have entered or transited in these countries during the past two weeks, will be denied access into Kuwait.

In Cairo, EgyptAir, the flag carrier of Egypt, announced on Saturday that it will suspend flights to Kuwait until further notice.

Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone announced the postponement of an international economic and investment forum, scheduled on March 21-22, over fears of the novel coronavirus.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday suspended the entry of passengers from Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain by land, as part of the precautionary measures recommended by the health authorities.

The entry of passengers from the three Gulf countries will be temporarily restricted to three airports: King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

In Yemen, which has not reported any COVID-19 case, the government announced a number of measures to curb a potential outbreak, including suspending issuing visas for foreigners and calling on its citizens to abide by the travel ban on Iran.