Mideast virus cases climb, prompting halts to Iran flights

The number of coronavirus cases continues to climb in the Middle East, prompting airlines in countries including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to place restrictions on flights to Iran, the outbreak’s epicenter in the region.

Iran reported 34 new cases Tuesday, with the death toll rising to 15. Bahrain reported six new cases, while Kuwait has an additional three. So far, there are about 130 confirmed cases in the Middle East, all of them linked to Iran. Turkey had its first major scare on Tuesday, when a Turkish Airlines flight carrying citizens back from Tehran diverted to Ankara on fears that some passengers were infected.

Bahrain said it diagnosed infections in people who traveled from Iran through the United Arab Emirates, forcing it to temporarily halt flights from Dubai and Sharjah.

The decision to halt all Iran flights from the U.A.E., home to Emirates, Air Arabia PJSC and FlyDubai, which together operated about 40 weekly routes to Iranian cities, came into effect Tuesday until further notice. Shares of Sharjah-based Air Arabia dropped as much as 4.7% on Tuesday.

The Turkish Airlines flight from Tehran to Istanbul made an unscheduled landing in Ankara on fears some passengers may have contracted the virus, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. It said all 132 passengers on board would be quarantined for 14 days at a hospital emptied of other patients and dedicated for the purpose.

Shares of the carrier, which had earlier canceled all flights to Iran until March 10 except Tehran, fell as much as 2.9%. Turkish Airlines operates five flights a day to Tehran, and five flights from Tehran to Istanbul.

Turkey’s discount carrier Pegasus also suspended all flights to and from Tehran until March 11.

Country-wide breakdown:

• Iran: 95 confirmed cases, including 15 deaths
• U.A.E.: 13
• Kuwait: 8
• Bahrain: 8
• Iraq: 5
• Oman: 2
• Israel: 1

New Developments:

• EFG-Hermes Holding canceled a frontier emerging markets event in Dubai early next month over concerns about coronavirus, according a note sent to clients.
• Iran’s health minister urged the people of Qom, the worst affected in the country, to stay in the city to avoid a forced lock down; deputy health minister tested positive.
• Iraq banned Iranians from coming into the country. Iraq is home to Karbala, a holy city visited by Shiite Muslims for pilgrimage.
• Oman’s Khasab port stopped exporting and importing goods from Iran, Jazeera TV reported. The port is closest to Iran.