ismail@khaleejtimes.com Filed on March 20, 2020 | Last updated on March 20, 2020 at 06.08 am

The total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the UAE is 31.

The UAE announced on Thursday the detection of 27 new coronavirus cases and the recovery of five patients.

The announcement was made by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, during a press briefing held in cooperation with the Ministry of Education in the nation's capital.

During the briefing, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson for the UAE health sector, briefed journalists on the latest COVID-19 developments in the country and the measures taken by UAE authorities to combat the spread of the pandemic.

Al Hosani, who is also the Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases at the Abu Dhabi Centre for Public Health, said that the 27 new cases were discovered at an early stage due to effective monitoring methods. All of the individuals newly diagnosed are from various nationalities, Al Hosani noted.

She explained that the individuals were identified as having been in contact with previously diagnosed persons and were quarantined and tested accordingly. Others, she added, were individuals who came into the country from travels abroad.

The spokesperson said that following the discovery of the new cases, the total number of COVID-19 cases had reached 140, with two cases in critical condition.

During the briefing, the spokesperson also revealed the full recovery of five individuals. Of the five recovered patients, three were Emirati.

A Syrian and Sri Lankan national also fully recovered, bringing the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the UAE to 31.

The briefing highlighted the UAE's efforts and immediate response measures to ensure the health and safety of the general public.

Journalists were updated on the latest developments and preventative measures taken by the country to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

Also discussed during the briefing were the current measures being taken to ensure the safe return of 4,340 students currently studying abroad.

Dr. Al Hosani explained that the Ministries of Health and Prevention and Education are working together to ensure that the students return home. She added that the UAE education ministry has set up a special committee to ensure that students' scholarship affairs remain in order.

The ministries are also working together to communicate with the students, relaying vital information to them to ensure their health and safety, she added.

The spokesperson highlighted that UAE authorities had imposed home quarantines lasting two weeks for all individuals returning to the country.

According to World Health Organisation recommendations, a person in home quarantine should occupy a well-ventilated single room, or if a single room is not available, maintain a distance of at least one metre from other household members, minimising the use of shared spaces and cutlery and ensuring that shared spaces, such as the kitchen and bathroom, are well ventilated.

As for food security, the spokesperson stressed that the country had sufficient food and medicinal stockpiles.

MoHAP urged members of the public not to circulate misinformation and rumours via social media and called upon the public to rely on official sources for developments on the pandemic.