RIYADH/DUBAI — Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reported its first death from the coronavirus, a 51-year-old Afghani resident, while the United Arab Emirates' main airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi said they would suspend all passenger flights from midnight. Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali told a news conference the fatality occurred on Monday night in Medina, where the man's health had deteriorated quickly after he reported to the emergency room. The kingdom took drastic measures early on to contain the disease, including halting international flights, suspending the Umrah year-round pilgrimage, closing mosques, schools, malls and restaurants, and imposing a nighttime curfew. It recorded 205 new infections on Tuesday, bringing the total in the six Gulf Coordination Council states to more than 2,100, mostly in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Six people have died three in Bahrain, two in the UAE and the latest in Saudi Arabia.

Source: International New York Times March 24, 2020 15:45 UTC