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Saudi Arabia reports first coronavirus death

Riyadh - He passed away on Monday night.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reported its first death from the coronavirus, a 51-year-old Afghani resident.

Saudi Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali told a televised news conference that the fatality occurred on Monday night in Medina, where the man's health had deteriorated quickly after reporting 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-member Gulf Coordination Council 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.

Kuwait, which has also imposed a curfew, arrested and will deport nine expatriates for violating the curfew, state news agency KUNA said.

The UAE, the region's tourism and business hub and a major air transit centre, has followed other Gulf Arab steps in trying to curb the spread of the virus, urging people to stay at home.